Abuser shakes head and rants 'I'm sitting in a court full of lies'

A domestic abuser who sent an intimate video of his ex to her new partner on WhatsApp ranted: "I'm sitting in a courtroom full of lies."

Scott McGuffie subjecting his pregnant former girlfriend to a campaign of harassment following the breakdown of their relationship, including lurking outside her house in the dead of night and bombarding her with phone calls. A judge today told him that he was "selfish and abusive by nature" and had an "instinct to resort to violence and intimidation"

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday that the couple had previously been together "on and off" for around five to six years. The complainant had made an earlier complaint of assault against McGuffie, of Lodge Road in Widnes, but ultimately failed to attend court, resulting in no evidence being offered by the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to the charge.

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Joanne Maxwell, prosecuting, described how the 41-year-old then began incessantly calling his former partner from withheld numbers. This led to her being granted a non-molestation order, banning him from making contact with her for six months, by the family courts in May 2023.

But, in the early hours of August 26, she awoke to knocking at her front door and saw McGuffie outside. He fled when she called the police but then returned once officers had left, entering her property via the back gate before leaving for a second time as she once again dialled 999.

The dad then resumed phoning her anonymously "almost every night" and sometimes "dozens of times" in one evening. When she answered on one occasion, McGuffie said: "You're going to get jumped.

"My daughter's going to get stabbed. You're a s*** mum."

Then, on September 19, McGuffie sent a video he had previously recorded of himself and his then girlfriend having sex to her new boyfriend over WhatsApp. Phone records showed that went on to call her 61 times in the space of nine days towards the end of the same month.

In a statement which was read out to the court on her behalf, the then expectant victim stated that he had made threats to harm her unborn baby boy and added: "This man has mentally abused me so much that I try not to look in the mirror. I will never be the woman I was before I met him.

"It has taken me all of my strength to pick myself up. He has no remorse."

McGuffie has a total of 17 previous convictions for 16 offences, including receiving 12 weeks in September 2023 for assaulting an emergency services worker and criminal damage. Brendan Carville, defending, told the court: "He has now served the equivalent of a one-year sentence.

"He will serve a modest term of imprisonment. I ask your honour to come the sentence to an absolute minimum."

McGuffie admitted disclosing private sexual images with intent to cause distress and breaching a non-molestation order. He was heard to remark "I'm sitting in a courtroom full of lies" moments before Recorder Jeremy Lasker began his sentencing remarks.

The judge then said: "Save for a short honeymoon period, this relationship has been turbulent. On her account, she has been the recipient of both abuse and violent behaviour from you over an extended period of time."

McGuffie sat shaking his head in the dock at this stage. When Recorder Lasker began to address the intimate film, the defendant added: "I only sent the video because she told me to do it. "

He was then warned to "be quiet" before being told: "That was a shameful offence intended by you simply to embarrass and demean her completely, and no doubt to cause her difficulties in her new relationship. She was scared, harassed, alarmed and distressed by your behaviour.

"She feels she has been left suicidal and broken. She was terrified to leave the house.

"She believes you have no remorse for what you did. In my view, having watched you shake your head throughout the prosecution's opening and my sentencing remarks, I think that is an accurate description of your attitude towards your offending.

"You continue to deny, minimise or justify your behaviour. In my view, by nature you are a selfish, abusive, violent and controlling man who either will not or cannot control your instincts to resort to abuse, violence and intimidation."

McGuffie was jailed for three years and handed a lifelong restraining order. He replied "thank you very much your honour" before being led to the cells.

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