A MALE victim of domestic abuse hopes that by sharing his story he can help others in the same situation.

He spoke to the Press after being subjected to an abusive course of behaviour over a four-month period last year.

This involved his former partner repeatedly shouting at him, throwing his clothing and mobile phone causing damage, persistently telephoning him and texting, and sending email and social media messages to him, his family, friends and associates.

She also loitered outside his gym, entered his car without his consent and refused to leave, seized his clothing, tried to prevent him leaving the house and seized his body, to his injury.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "You don't really hear of domestic abuse happening to guys and I was reluctant to go to the police but it got to the stage it was stalking and harassment.

"Every time I heard a car pulling up at the house, or I'm coming out of the gym or the phone rang at work, I was worried it was going to be her.

"I couldn't go through life like this. I just wanted to be left alone.

"I'm sure there are plenty of other guys that have been in this situation or potentially are in the same situation.

"If they do something about it, there's a chance to get out and escape it."

Looking back he said: "I should have got out sooner than I did but there was almost this sense of uselessness.

"I'm never going to raise my hands to a woman and to have someone attack you and not be able to do anything about it just felt surreal."

At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, his former partner, a first offender, had her sentence deferred for a year for good behaviour.

The victim said: "I didn't expect her to get a heavy sentence, I'm just happy with the conviction."

He said they had got together in April 2022 and not long after she had fallen pregnant.

The man said there were "red flags" early on and his moves to end the relationship led to her becoming "really abusive".

The victim said: "I felt threatened. I didn't know what she was capable of. I hadn't really wanted another child, as I have three with my ex-wife.

"I get it. She's got a baby and feels I've left her as a single mother. I tried to do the right thing but I didn't leave because of the baby, I left because she was being abusive. She just didn't seem to see there was a problem."

He continued: "I kept everything she sent and I had videos, I would take my phone out and start recording when she was getting aggressive. It was more for my own safety. If I phoned the police and got them to come round I know for a fact she would say I'd done something to her.

"She knew I was recording but it didn't matter. I don't think she thought I would go to the police.

"It was two female police officers who came round and I thought I was going to be on the back foot but they couldn't have been better. They helped me see it had to stop."