A TRANENT man who abused his former partner after the couple lost their newborn twins has appeared in court.

Liam Donaldson turned up at the woman’s home and shouted, swore and called her derogatory names, including calling her “a baby killer”, in August last year.

Donaldson also punched holes in a cupboard door and smashed a mirror while he was shouting remarks about their “stillborn twins”.

The 26-year-old was due to be sentenced at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, when he appeared from custody after previously pleading guilty.

Lawyer Mary Moultrie told the court that the couple lost their babies last year and the time had been “difficult for both parties”.

Ms Moultrie said that Donaldson had abstained from drink and drugs for the past six months and since the incident he had adhered to a non-harassment order and a court-imposed curfew.

Sentence on Donaldson, of Baxter’s Gate, was deferred to March next year.

Previously, the court was told that Donaldson had used the term “baby killer” towards the woman and during the argument she had managed to call a friend who overheard the ongoing row.

The friend rushed to the house at the town’s Meetinghouse Drive, where she witnessed “furniture in a state of disarray”.

Donaldson was then said to have threatened the woman’s friend that she “had better not call the police” to report the incident.

The court heard that the day after the bust-up, Donaldson had returned to his former partner’s property to gather his possessions but, when he was told that the relationship was over, he had “spat onto her chest”.

He then grabbed hold of a deodorant can and threw it at the woman, striking her on the foot.

The abuse was reported and later that evening, at about 11.10pm, police officers attended Donaldson’s home at Baxter’s Gate and arrested him.

When he was cautioned and charged, Donaldson reportedly told police: “She’s a b****, that is what she is. Because she lost our twin boys she is taking it all out on me.”

Donaldson pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly uttering offensive and derogatory remarks, striking a mirror and smashing it, and repeatedly throwing items at an address at Meetinghouse Drive, Tranent, on August 20 last year. He also admitted instructing a woman not to call the police and repeatedly kicking and striking doors and causing damage.

He also admitted to a separate charge of assaulting his former partner by spitting on her and throwing a can at her, striking her on the body, at her home on August 21 last year.