A MUSSELBURGH man has been banned from contacting a woman for three years after he verbally abused her when she refused to have sex with him.

Paul Marshall called the woman “a horrible ****” and “a ****ing cow” during a night out at Dalhousie Castle near Bonnyrigg, Midlothian.

Marshall, currently of Windsor Park Terrace, was abusive towards the woman and seized her by the arm while a child was present during a separate incident at her home in Gorebridge.

The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of conduct that was abusive of his partner and to a second offence of breaching bail conditions by contacting her between November 11 last year and February 23 this year.

Previously, Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that the couple had enjoyed a night out at the Midlothian hotel and, after socialising, they returned to their room at about midnight on November 11 last year.

Fiscal depute Oliver Davidson-Richards said that Marshall was “intoxicated” and was “looking to have sexual relations with the complainer” but she had “refused due to his demeanour”.

The court was told that Marshall soon became abusive, calling her names and telling her she was “a ****ing embarrassment”.

The woman was said to have secretly recorded the conversation “for fear [the situation] would escalate”.

The court heard of a second incident where Marshall, a self-employed roofer, had returned from a local golf club while drunk and said he was taking the dog for a walk.

The woman was said to be “worried about the safety” of the animal due to his drunken state and she managed to take the dog and a young child into her car for safety. The court was told Marshall then “seized her by the arm as she tried to enter the car” during the incident outside her home on February 23.

Again, Marshall was said to have been “verbally abusive” calling her “a p****” and telling her to “**** off”.

The fiscal said the child was present throughout the incident and, after police had been notified, officers found Marshall walking in a nearby street.

Marshall then broke strict court rules not to contact the woman when he texted her saying: “Sorry, please make this go away.”

The message continued: “If you really love me, you won’t let me go to court.”

The woman contacted police for a second time and Marshall was arrested again, telling officers: “It was only a text.”

Marshall was back in the dock at court on Monday, where Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss placed him on a community payback order and issued him with a fine.

Marshall was placed on supervision for 18 months and told to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work. He was also handed a non-harassment order banning him from contacting the woman in any way for the next three years.

The sheriff also imposed a fine of £420 to mark the breach of bail conditions.