41-year-old admits assaulting ex in Kelso

A 41-year-old man convicted of assaulting a former partner in a Kelso street is now awaiting sentencing following reports.
Bowmont Street in Kelso.Bowmont Street in Kelso.
Bowmont Street in Kelso.

Terry Kennedy pleaded guilty to that charge and also admitted attempting to steal a bicycle from the grounds of Ednam House Hotel in Kelso.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told that Kennedy approached Suzanne Baxter around 9.30am on November 9 inthe town’s Bowmont Street and started being abusive to her, saying she should not have been there as that was in breach of bail conditions and she would go to jail.

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Depute fiscal Jane Rennie said: “The accused then managed to get hold of her jacket and pulled her to the ground.

“A passing witness managed to assist the woman and pulled her into her vehicle, but the accused again then pulled her to the ground.

“When she was lying on the ground, he punched her to the head and kicked her to the body.

“The accused then walked away, and witnesses assisted the complainer.

“The police were then contacted.”

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Ms Rennie said the woman was taken to the Borders General Hospital at Melrose to be checked over, but was found to be uninjured.

Kennedy, of Kelso, was arrested and made no reply upon being cautioned and charged.

Two months later, on January 18 at around 10pm, witnesses in an office at Ednam House Hotel and saw some men outside acting suspiciously.

She said: “They went outside and into the garage and found a male attempting to forcibly move a lock from a secure fixture where a pedal cycle was.”

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The police were contacted, and Kennedy was identified from CCTV footage.

Defence lawyer Richard Gray said Ms Baxter had been staying with Kennedy and he claimed items had been stolen from his wallet, that being why he followed her and confronted her.

“She was not supposed to be in Kelso and that’s what he said,” Mr Gray said.

“He followed her with a view to getting the items back he felt she had taken from him, but his actions went far beyond what was required.”

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Sheriff Mungo Bovey said it was a matter of concern that Kennedy had been wrestling Ms Baxter to the ground and that she had to be rescued by someone else, adding that the attempted theft of the cycle was suggestive of seeking funding for a drug habit.

He deferred sentence for a criminal justice social work report on both matters until March 2.

Baxter, of Croft Street in Galashiels, pleaded guilty to breaching bail by being in Kelso on November 9 and also behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

Sentence was deferred on her until March 5 for reports.