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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Alan McEwen

Edinburgh man beat up ex-girlfriend after finding out she joined a dating app

A drunk man battered his ex-partner and pulled out a clump of her hair following their split because she joined a dating app, a court heard.

John Turner struck his former lover’s head more than ten times during a booze session with her and a pal at his Edinburgh home.

The city’s sheriff court was told the couple had earlier broken up after Turner learning she was online dating and seeing other people.

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Turner, 48, appeared at the hearing on Monday and pled guilty to assaulting his ex and her friend.

Fiscal depute Chelsea Martin said the woman had attended Turner’s flat in the city’s Craigour area.

Ms Martin said Turner later became “aggressive”, grabbing the victim’s hair and trying to drag her to the floor.

She said Turner struck her with a “closed fist in excess of ten times” in the head and pulled out a clump of hair.

The prosecutor said Turner also struck the friend on her body and flicked a lit cigarette at her during the incident on August 1 last year.

The court was told police were called and arrested Turner who told officers in reply: “F*** off.”

Defence agent Graeme Runcie said his client had a “long-standing difficulty” with alcohol.

Mr Runcie said Turner and the woman had been in a relationship for several years but split in February last year.

The solicitor said Turner learned she was on a dating app and was “seeing other individuals”, a development which “caused him distress”.

Despite the split, Mr Runcie said the woman travelled through from her home in West Lothian to see Turner on the day of the attack.

He said Turner accepted his behaviour was “completely unacceptable” and that the relationship was “totally over”.

Mr Runcie added Turner hadn’t drank alcohol for “several months”.

Sheriff Thomas Welsh QC fined Turner £200 and imposed a three-year non-harassment order banning him from contacting, or attempting to contact, his former partner.

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