David MacDonald sentenced at Edinburgh High Court
A man convicted of raping and attempting to murder his partner following over ten years of repeated abuse has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.
David MacDonald, 41, was found guilty of multiple charges involving physical and domestic abuse against his estranged wife, Danielle.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that during the assaults, MacDonald spat on Danielle, isolated her from friends, took her money and bank cards, and struck her head against a lamp post.
During sentencing, Judge Thomas Welsh KC described the ordeal as
"a shocking and prolonged ordeal"involving rape, sexual assault, physical assault, and domestic abuse.
MacDonald, who has previous convictions for violent crime and domestic abuse, denied the charges during an earlier trial. He testified, denying any abuse, asserting that sexual encounters were consensual, and claiming self-defence in relation to the attempted murder, but the jury did not accept his testimony.
Danielle, MacDonald's former partner, previously referred to him as a
"disgusting beast"in an interview with STV News.
Details of the abuse and attack
The court was told that between October 2010 and December 2023, MacDonald inflicted bruises on Danielle on numerous occasions. These injuries were observed by her mother, a close friend, and colleagues.
The abuse culminated on 18 December 2023, when MacDonald slapped, punched, and kicked Danielle, dropped a weight on her, and strangled her in an attempted murder.
Police were called to the residence, and a police officer physically intervened to pull MacDonald off Danielle.
Danielle was transported to the Accident & Emergency department with extensive injuries, including fractures to bones in her upper body.
A surgeon who testified to the jury stated that the injuries were consistent with those typically seen in
"high-energy road traffic accidents".
Judge Welsh remarked during sentencing,
"The fractures alone show the extent of the force you used, on that occasion, in your vicious and sustained attack against your then partner."
Coercive control and physical assault
The judge highlighted multiple instances of coercive control that caused emotional and psychological harm, alongside numerous physical assaults including choking and burning parts of Danielle's body with lit cigarettes.
Addressing MacDonald, who attended the proceedings via video link from prison, the judge stated,
"The violence used by you against your partner was always associated with the consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs like cocaine."
A social worker who prepared a background report on MacDonald indicated that his abusive behaviour appeared to provide him with
"a sense of control"and assessed that he was highly likely to continue such behaviour in future intimate relationships.
Judge Welsh imposed an extended sentence of 16 years, including a custodial term of 12 years. Following release, MacDonald will be supervised and monitored in the community for an additional four years while on licence, during which any breach of conditions could result in recall to prison.
The sentence was backdated to 5 February 2024, the date MacDonald was remanded in custody.
Additionally, MacDonald was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
