March 2021

‘Psychopathic’ offender could be locked up for life

A violent offender who stubbed out lit cigarettes on a woman’s face during a catalogue of brutality against female victims was given an indeterminate jail sentence.

Aiden Bartlett, 24, attacked women and subjected victims to threats and controlling behaviour during a series of crimes over seven years.

Judge Gordon Liddle imposed an Order for Lifelong Restriction on Bartlett and told him it was a sentence of imprisonment for an indefinite period.

The judge ordered that he must serve a minimum period of four years imprisonment before he can seek release on parole.

Bartlett was warned that he will only be released if the Parole Board is satisfied that would not endanger public safety.

Bartlett, a prisoner in Perth, was earlier convicted of a total of 11 offences committed between May 2012 and May 2019. The crimes included assault, threatening behaviour and abduction.

He continued to offend even from inside Perth prison as he contacted one woman trying to persuade her to go to prosecution authorities to ask that proceedings against him be discontinued.

Bartlett shouted and swore at her and issued threats as he attempted to pervert the course of justice.

The court heard evidence about him from forensic psychologists, one of whom said he was a high risk and another maintaining he presented a medium risk.

Advocate depute Richard Goddard QC said there were areas of agreement with the experts in relation to Bartlett’s personality disorder and psychopathic traits.

Bartlett began attacking his first victim when he was only 15 and subjected her to assaults on various occasions at houses in Aberdeen to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of her life.

He slapped her, pushed and pulled her, pinned her down. and struck her head against walls.

He also grabbed her by the hair, spat in her face, punched, kicked and headbutted her and stubbed out cigarettes on her face.

Bartlett also shouted and swore at her, called her abusive names, locked her in a house in Aberdeen and damaged her mobile phone to prevent her contacting others.

He also committed assaults on a second woman at addresses in Aberdeen and at Kirkcaldy between September 2017 and July 2018 to her injury and danger of life.

During attacks he slapped her, pushed her, dragged her across a floor and punched and kicked her.

Bartlett also bit her on the body and spat on her face and put a hand over her mouth, restricting her breathing.

He also locked the woman in properties and deprived her of her mobile phone to stop her contacting others.

Between January 2013 and August 2014 he also assaulted a third female victim by pushing her, seizing her by the hair and struggling with her to her injury.