A ROSYTH man who fired a shotgun at his wife as she lay in bed and laughed, was sentenced with 196 hours of community service on Wednesday.

The incident, which happened more than 30 years ago, came back to haunt Robert Burke when he bragged about it to a work colleague.
Burke, 54, of Burnside Crescent, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on or between November 20, 1984, and December 31, 1988, at an address in Fraser Avenue, Inverkeithing, he assaulted his wife, stated: “That’s it”, pointed a shotgun at her and discharged it.

He also admitted that on or between November 1 and 30, 2010, at Burnside Crescent, Rosyth, he maliciously damaged a laptop computer.

Defence solicitor James Moncrieff said his client had a handgun in his possession from his grandfather that he kept for a short time.

"The incident happened over 30 years ago and thought it was a joke but he now excepts that it was foolish – he was a young man in his 20s at the time.

"Him and his ex-wife had a very happy relationship then and he does not accept the description of a him being controlling as accurate. 

"They had three children and the relationship became strained near the end. 

"He was very shocked that the police interviewed him over his his ex-wife, he doesn't accept that he is a domestic abuser and hasn't owned firearms since.

"This was an ill-advised incident that happened as a young man at the start of his relationship with his ex-partner."

Sheriff Charles Macnair told Burke: "Although this is your first offence, it's a very serious one. 

"Pointing a shotgun and firing a blank must have been terrifying for your wife."

It's the first time that information provided through the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse in Scotland (DSDAS) has resulted in a successful prosecution. 

The investigation into Burke began when Police Scotland received information about him under the ‘Right to Ask' element of DSDAS, where a person makes an application to police for information about an individual.

Following this application and the concerns raised, officers carried out a number of enquiries and Burke was subsequently charged with offences relating to domestic abuse and damage.

Detective Inspector Jim Leeson, of the Fife Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “Burke had not come to police attention in the past – domestic abuse by its very nature frequently happens behind closed doors and in this case went unreported for years. 

"We acknowledge that speaking out, whether you are a victim of or witness domestic abuse, can be extremely difficult and along with a number of support and advocacy organisations, the scheme exists to give these people a voice and allow police and partners to take appropriate action.

“In this case, one of the offences happened 30 years ago, but the scheme still allowed us to receive the information, investigate and finally bring Burke to justice.

"He now has a criminal record and is known to police and our public protection partners so we can continue to take steps to reduce the risk of further harm.”