A FORMER Ministry of Defence police officer jabbed her husband with a broken clothes hanger.

Elizabeth Galbraith previously pleaded guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court to engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive to her now ex-husband at his property in Alexandria and her home in West Kilbride between August 7, 2021, and July 7, 2022.

The 60-year-old refused to allow him to collect his belongings, hit him to the body with the household item and repeatedly send emails to him accusing him of being unfaithful.

It was heard by procurator fiscal Laura Martin that the couple were staying at Galbraith's current address in Hauplands Way, West Kilbride, on August 7, 2021, as the pair went to a neighbour's party.

Galbraith went home and her husband returned shortly afterwards where she began shouting at him "you were talking to that blonde b**t". 

He went back to the party and when he returned home for the second time she began accusing him of talking to a different woman and called him a "sp****c c***". 

On January 31 last year, the husband was planning to go to an event in Glasgow and was getting ready at his home in Alexandria.

Galbraith attempted to stop him by grabbing his clothes whilst she was holding a clothes hanger which she broke as a result.

As she clutched his clothes, she refused to let him back upstairs and shouted at him "Go on f*** off" and "you did this to me" before she jabbed the hanger into his ribs.

The man desperately called his son asking for help sounding "extremely panicked" whilst shouting was heard in the background.

And between May 24 and July 7, she sent 27 emails some of which accused him of being unfaithful and suggested she was monitoring his movements.

The first offender appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court this week where her solicitor explained to Sheriff Clair McLachlan that she struggled with a family death.

Her lawyer added: "The parties separated as a result of the incident [in January]. This is a woman who has been a serving police officer with the Ministry of Defence for 31 years. It was during her service that she met the complainer. 

"There is no real issue with terms of the narrative. On one occasion, Ms Galbraith herself was the victim of a reported matter by police.

"On August 7 she had attended the party. She is a woman who does not often drink to excess. She had drank to excess on that day.

"She had fallen off a wall and was rather embarrassed by what had occurred. Mr Galbraith tried to get her to attend back at the party and an argument ensued.

"On January 31 that is the date they separated. She indicates there had been an argument and it became heated between both parties. She lost her temper and she shouldn't have. She lost all control during that incident.

"She has no real desire to have contact with her former husband. This comes as the breakdown of a relationship which can be described as toxic."

Sheriff McLachlan said: "Given what has been said and the steps you have been taking. I am going to defer sentence that will allow you to conclude the mindfulness course."

A non-harassment order was imposed to prevent Galbraith from contacting her former partner or entering his address.