Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is still a common occurrence in Scotland, perhaps because of the ordeal involved in going to court which is plain to see in this case where the violent, drunken partner of radio DJ Suzie McGuire was convicted of a string of assaults with her two young children being required to give evidence.
So I hope the judge throws the book at Derek Mitchell and sends him to prison because his self-pitying words outside the court contained no words of remorse and display a shocking lack of insight into his pathetic, cowardly behaviour.
Suzie McGuire domestic abuse trial: Radio DJ left a broken woman after years of hell at hands of partner
By Paul O'Hare - Daily Record
DEREK Mitchell claimed he was the victim of domestic abuse but the jury saw through his lies after a 16-day trial at Paisley Sheriff Court.
DEREK Mitchell claimed he was the victim of domestic abuse but the jury saw through his lies after a 16-day trial at Paisley Sheriff Court.
Suzie McGuire and Derek Mitchell on their wedding day
THE estranged husband of DJ Suzie McGuire was last night facing jail after being convicted of a string of domestic assaults on the former Radio Clyde star.
Derek Mitchell, 35, left his wife feeling like a broken woman who even tried to commit suicide in despair at her abusive marriage.
The accountant claimed he was the victim of domestic abuse but the jury saw through his lies after a 16-day trial at Paisley Sheriff Court.
Mitchell was convicted of three assaults on mum-of-four Suzie between May and December 2011.
The thug, of East Kilbride, was also found guilty of a breach of the peace in November 2009.
Mitchell was freed on bail yesterday but will return to court next month to learn his fate.
THE estranged husband of DJ Suzie McGuire was last night facing jail after being convicted of a string of domestic assaults on the former Radio Clyde star.
Derek Mitchell, 35, left his wife feeling like a broken woman who even tried to commit suicide in despair at her abusive marriage.
The accountant claimed he was the victim of domestic abuse but the jury saw through his lies after a 16-day trial at Paisley Sheriff Court.
Mitchell was convicted of three assaults on mum-of-four Suzie between May and December 2011.
The thug, of East Kilbride, was also found guilty of a breach of the peace in November 2009.
Mitchell was freed on bail yesterday but will return to court next month to learn his fate.
During a remarkable case, the jury heard:
● Mitchell drunkenly pulled his wife’s wedding finger back and broke it in front of her terrified daughters.
● The violent dad of two grabbed Suzie during a military event she was hosting and branded her a “slut”.
● And Mitchell humiliated the DJ during a Cash for Kids event by slapping her while she chatted with billionaire businessman Mike Ashley.
Former drivetime presenter Suzie gave evidence from behind screens during the trial and described her husband as “prince charming that turned into a Jekyll and Hyde character”.
The jury also heard he was unpredictable and had anger-management issues.
Suzie, 45, broke down as she revealed how she was so “broken” in March last year that she went to an area behind Bonnyton Golf course in Eaglesham, near Glasgow, and took 40 paracetamol and a litre of vodka in a bid to end her life.
Suzie – who had a panic button installed in her home before the trial – said: “I don’t recognise that person now because I would have left my children with no mum.”
During her evidence, she said: “I was actually a woman pushed to the limit. Beaten up, berated daily, I had nothing left to give.”
The domestic abuse victim said she was told daily she was old, fat and ugly and nobody would want her – and eventually started to believe it.
The charges dated back to November 2009 – the day after Mitchell was arrested at Suzie’s cousin Jacqueline Miller’s 40th birthday party in Ayr.
He slapped a man who compared Suzie to singer Susan Boyle and later pled guilty at court – but was given an absolute discharge meaning he had no criminal record as a result.
The day after the party, Suzie phoned Jacqueline to apologise on his behalf. She phoned her back a second time later that day, terrified of Mitchell, who had been drinking most of the day.
Jacqueline claimed Suzie kept saying: “I’m so scared, I’m so scared.”
Suzie alleged Mitchell grabbed her by the throat during the incident before he left the house and she called the police.
She said she “played down” the incident and told officers they’d had a minor argument.
The jury convicted him of breaching the peace. Mitchell admitted slashing the tyres and roof of Suzie’s soft top Audi in April 2010 after reading in a newspaper she’d had an affair with ex-Celtic player Marc Crosas while they were together.
Suzie denied the allegation she had an affair or that she was in a relationship with Mitchell at the time.
Mitchell told how he was “devastated” when he read the article and lashed out but later confessed what he’d done.
His dad Robert Mitchell paid almost £5000 to have the damage repaired. The first assault charge the jury convicted Mitchell of was an attack in May 2011 after the Eaglesham Fair.
Mitchell, Suzie, her two girls and their son Oliver went to the event with a pal of Mitchell’s, but the men left to go drinking.
Later, when Suzie was making her way home with the three children, a drunken Mitchell accosted her on Polnoon Street.
Suzie claimed he demanded car keys from her but she refused, worried because he’d been drinking. They struggled as Mitchell tried to wrestle them from her. It was claimed he pushed her against a wall and she cut her head while he said, “give me the f****** keys”.
The jury convicted him of pulling back Suzie’s finger to her severe injury and permanent impairment.
She told the jury: “The girls were absolutely hysterical, I will never ever forget.
“Wee girls shouldn’t see things like that. When they saw it, it was like a horror film.”
Suzie said: “He broke my finger. He just grabbed it and bent it back as far as it would pretty much go.”
Millie Ross, 10, and her sister Daisy, eight, gave evidence via video link that they saw Mitchell hurt their mum.
Millie told the court: “I knew he was hurting my mum and I wanted to say something but I was scared to do anything because I knew I was too young to say anything.”
Four months later, in September 2011, Suzie was humiliated in front of soldiers at a military event when Mitchell angrily grabbed her arm as she socialised.
Ex-Pop Idol winner and singer Michelle McManus told the jury she and the DJ had snaps taken with people at the function.
She said: “I stepped aside to make a phone call or send a text message.
“At that point, I noticed Derek coming towards where we’d been standing and he looked angry.
“He grabbed Suzie by the arm and said, ‘You’re really embarrassing me.’”
Michelle claimed Mitchell also told his wife: “You’re behaving like a slut but then again you are slut.”
Mitchell also allegedly dug his fingernails into his wife’s hand as she sat talking at a table at the event – another assault Michelle claimed she witnessed but the jury cleared him of.
It would be a year before Suzie broke down and told Michelle what had been going on in her relationship.
● Mitchell drunkenly pulled his wife’s wedding finger back and broke it in front of her terrified daughters.
● The violent dad of two grabbed Suzie during a military event she was hosting and branded her a “slut”.
● And Mitchell humiliated the DJ during a Cash for Kids event by slapping her while she chatted with billionaire businessman Mike Ashley.
Former drivetime presenter Suzie gave evidence from behind screens during the trial and described her husband as “prince charming that turned into a Jekyll and Hyde character”.
The jury also heard he was unpredictable and had anger-management issues.
Suzie, 45, broke down as she revealed how she was so “broken” in March last year that she went to an area behind Bonnyton Golf course in Eaglesham, near Glasgow, and took 40 paracetamol and a litre of vodka in a bid to end her life.
Suzie – who had a panic button installed in her home before the trial – said: “I don’t recognise that person now because I would have left my children with no mum.”
During her evidence, she said: “I was actually a woman pushed to the limit. Beaten up, berated daily, I had nothing left to give.”
The domestic abuse victim said she was told daily she was old, fat and ugly and nobody would want her – and eventually started to believe it.
The charges dated back to November 2009 – the day after Mitchell was arrested at Suzie’s cousin Jacqueline Miller’s 40th birthday party in Ayr.
He slapped a man who compared Suzie to singer Susan Boyle and later pled guilty at court – but was given an absolute discharge meaning he had no criminal record as a result.
The day after the party, Suzie phoned Jacqueline to apologise on his behalf. She phoned her back a second time later that day, terrified of Mitchell, who had been drinking most of the day.
Jacqueline claimed Suzie kept saying: “I’m so scared, I’m so scared.”
Suzie alleged Mitchell grabbed her by the throat during the incident before he left the house and she called the police.
She said she “played down” the incident and told officers they’d had a minor argument.
The jury convicted him of breaching the peace. Mitchell admitted slashing the tyres and roof of Suzie’s soft top Audi in April 2010 after reading in a newspaper she’d had an affair with ex-Celtic player Marc Crosas while they were together.
Suzie denied the allegation she had an affair or that she was in a relationship with Mitchell at the time.
Mitchell told how he was “devastated” when he read the article and lashed out but later confessed what he’d done.
His dad Robert Mitchell paid almost £5000 to have the damage repaired. The first assault charge the jury convicted Mitchell of was an attack in May 2011 after the Eaglesham Fair.
Mitchell, Suzie, her two girls and their son Oliver went to the event with a pal of Mitchell’s, but the men left to go drinking.
Later, when Suzie was making her way home with the three children, a drunken Mitchell accosted her on Polnoon Street.
Suzie claimed he demanded car keys from her but she refused, worried because he’d been drinking. They struggled as Mitchell tried to wrestle them from her. It was claimed he pushed her against a wall and she cut her head while he said, “give me the f****** keys”.
The jury convicted him of pulling back Suzie’s finger to her severe injury and permanent impairment.
She told the jury: “The girls were absolutely hysterical, I will never ever forget.
“Wee girls shouldn’t see things like that. When they saw it, it was like a horror film.”
Suzie said: “He broke my finger. He just grabbed it and bent it back as far as it would pretty much go.”
Millie Ross, 10, and her sister Daisy, eight, gave evidence via video link that they saw Mitchell hurt their mum.
Millie told the court: “I knew he was hurting my mum and I wanted to say something but I was scared to do anything because I knew I was too young to say anything.”
Four months later, in September 2011, Suzie was humiliated in front of soldiers at a military event when Mitchell angrily grabbed her arm as she socialised.
Ex-Pop Idol winner and singer Michelle McManus told the jury she and the DJ had snaps taken with people at the function.
She said: “I stepped aside to make a phone call or send a text message.
“At that point, I noticed Derek coming towards where we’d been standing and he looked angry.
“He grabbed Suzie by the arm and said, ‘You’re really embarrassing me.’”
Michelle claimed Mitchell also told his wife: “You’re behaving like a slut but then again you are slut.”
Mitchell also allegedly dug his fingernails into his wife’s hand as she sat talking at a table at the event – another assault Michelle claimed she witnessed but the jury cleared him of.
It would be a year before Suzie broke down and told Michelle what had been going on in her relationship.
But in the meantime, the abuse continued.
In December 2011, after a Cash for Kids event at the Hilton Hotel, Suzie and Mitchell went to 29 at Royal Exchange Square in Glasgow city centre for an after-party.
Drunken Mitchell flew into a rage when his wife was cuddled by businessman Mike Ashley, and attacked her.
Suzie told the court: “Derek lost it, really really turned very vicious and very nasty at that point.
“He slapped me across the face and bit me on the shoulder in front of company, in front of quite a lot of people.”
She added: “Mike Ashley was standing right beside me – Derek actually tried to hit him.”
Mitchell, the father of Suzie’s two youngest children, was convicted of assaulting Suzie by slapping her.
Sheriff Susan Sinclair deferred sentence until next month and continued Mitchell’s bail.
Speaking after his conviction Mitchell said: "Although the charges levelled against me reduced from just under twenty to three with deletions, I am saddened by today's verdict.
"I would like to thank my legal representation.
"I would also like to thank the breathtaking support I have received from family and friends both before and after the verdict.
"I accept the decision of the jury, however, my heart now breaks for my beautiful babies Oliver and Poppy.
"I hope we will be in each others' lives again extremely soon."
