Jury convicts ex-Lybster man of domestic abuse
A MAN has been found guilty of assaulting his former wife over a period of years while living in Lybster then causing her fear and alarm years later in Edinburgh.
Konstanty Bembnista had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and had lodged the special defences of self defence and alibi.
But a jury at Wick Sheriff Court found him guilty on indictment after a seven day sheriff and jury trial of repeatedly striking Marie Islam, his former wife, on the head and body and repeatedly ejecting her from a car all to her injury. The offence was committed on various occasions between June 1, 1991 and June 3, 2003 both dates at Kyleburn Cottage and Harbour Road, Lybster and elsewhere.
They also found him guilty of committing a breach of the peace by following, approaching, shouting at and threatening Ms Islam, repeatedly telephoning her, leaving items for her and making her get into a motor vehicle, knowing that she did not wish to see or be contacted by him, placing her in a state of fear and alarm for her safety. That offence happened between June 3, 2003 and July 30, 2013 at Jenners, Edinburgh, and elsewhere in Scotland.
Sentence on Bembnista (68) was deferred to September 28 for the preparation of a criminal justice and social work report.
