A COUNTY man who abused his former partner by blaming her for the death of the couple’s stillborn twins has had his sentence deferred.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that Liam Donaldson, of Baxters Gate, Tranent, was currently carrying out the conditions of a community payback order issued last year for a separate offence.

Donaldson, 28, has been told he must continue to comply with the existing community order and a progress report will be prepared before he is eventually sentenced on the outstanding matter in July.

Previously, the court was told that Donaldson had shouted “baby killer” at the woman during an outburst before he swore at her and smashed items within her home.

Donaldson arrived at the woman’s home at about 11.30am on August 20, 2021, where he proceeded to shout, swear and call her derogatory names.

Fiscal depute Ross Price said that Donaldson punched holes in a cupboard door and had smashed a mirror while he was shouting remarks about the couple’s “stillborn twins”.

The court was told 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 then threatened the 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 collect his possessions but, when he was told 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, and the abuse was reported to the police later that evening.

While being cautioned and charged, Donaldson told officers: “She’s a b****, that is what she is. Because she lost our twin boys she is taking it all out on me.”

The court heard that the complainer was “afraid of the accused due to his behaviour” and there was no chance of any reconciliation between them.

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 on August 20, 2021.

He also admitted to instructing a woman not to call the police and to repeatedly kicking and striking doors and causing damage during the same incident.

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, 2021.