Gran tells of 47 years of hell at hands of evil husband as brute jailed

Daily Record

6 hours ago

Eve Graham was pushed into the sea from a pier, bitten on the nose and smashed over the head with a bucket during some of the many brutal attacks inflicted by her life-long partner, William McDonald.
A Scots gran who suffered violent abuse spanning almost five decades hit out as her 'cruel' ex husband was jailed for two years yesterday.
Eve Graham was pushed into the sea from a pier, bitten on the nose and smashed over the head with a bucket during some of the many brutal attacks inflicted on her at the hands of her life-long partner, William McDonald.
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The 76-year-old, of Ardersier, Inverness-shire, was finally convicted of a string of charges spanning a period of 47 years last month - just three years after Eve finally summoned the courage to leave.
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At Edinburgh High Court yesterday, a judge told McDonald his age and the passage of time was not enough to spare him jail - saying the attacks on Eve demonstrate a 'disturbing propensity towards violence and cruelty'.
The gran-of-two told the Record how she has had to fight 'tooth and nail' to see the case reach court as she slammed his 'lenient' sentence.
The 67-year-old said: 'I'm living with a life sentence and have been for all these years. I will never get over what's happened to me.
'Because I've had to fight for this from day one, I'm relieved and elated to finally see him receive a jail sentence. But he deserves longer.
'He probably won't even serve two years and will get out early.
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'Given everything I've been through, I think the courts have been very lenient.'
Eve was just 17 when she met McDonald in Perthshire and agreed to marry him just four months later.
But in a matter of months the abuse began, with the former engineer pushing her causing her to hit her head on stairs in 1975.
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Various attacks between May 1975 and May 1981 saw McDonald shout and swear at Eve, hit her head with a bucket and pull and grab her by the body.
Eve first alerted police in 1979 when she was dragged by her hair by McDonald at their then home in East Kilbride. But she claims he was simply given a 'talking to'.
On another occasion, in 1981, McDonald threw her and repeatedly shook her causing her to hit her head on a chair - all because she'd asked him and a friend to turn music down while she was trying to care for her sleeping baby.
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She said: 'The more I screamed the more he seemed to do it. I finally went limp and he let me go. I ran outside in my bare feet to my neighbours.'
Police were again called, who helped take the baby out of the property, but she claims no further action was taken and she later returned home to McDonald.
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She said: 'My ex husband used to say 'no one will believe you, it's your word against mine'. I came to believe that.'
In 1987, one of the most serious attacks took place, when McDonald endangered Eve's life by pushing her from a pier into the sea in Nairn, where the couple had moved with their two children.
She said: 'We were with the boys, watching kids jump in, and the next thing I knew I was flying through the air.
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'I went under the water. It was deep and choppy. I remember the shock and trying to swim against the current.
'The boys thought I was going to drown. I played it down because they were upset. He was laughing. I still don't know why he did it.
'I didn't tell the police. I felt like nobody could help me.
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'Every time nothing happened it gave him more power.'
A charge of assault with intent to rape in 1990 was withdrawn by the Crown during the trial.
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Eve was later injured in a horse riding accident, which she says made her more vulnerable and reliant on McDonald.
The folk musician was convicted of more abuse between August 2019 and August 2022.
During one horrific assault he put a towel over her head and bit her on the nose as they discussed Scottish independence in the kitchen.
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In 2020, Eve said she was suffering relentless verbal abuse, being called 'useless, fat and ugly', and had developed severe PTSD and a stutter.
At her most desperate, she waded into a pond at their remote cottage in the snow.
She said: 'I came up with this idea, that if I had pneumonia I would just die. I told him I wanted to finish it.
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'I looked around and he was just standing laughing at me.'
Terrified of losing her home, Eve persuaded McDonald to visit a marriage counsellor during lockdown.
During one session she revealed she had been attacked.
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The mum-of-two said: 'The counsellor said he wouldn't go to the police this time, but it was very serious.
'We walked out and I really thought I wasn't going to get home. I feel like that counsellor threw me to the lions.
'He never contacted me again.'
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During the final attack in 2022, McDonald knelt on Eve's arm, causing deep bruising, and pushed her against walls.
She went to her GP to seek help, who suggested she alert police.
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Eve spoke to police two days later, after seeking the support of social workers, and McDonald was finally charged three months later.
But in 2023, Eve went on to lodge a formal complaint over the police investigation.
Amongst her 14 complaints, she said an officer failed to take action when she first reported the abuse.
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She said she was not provided with adequate safety advice and support following her disclosure, was treated insensitively by two officers and not kept up to date with developments in the case.
She also claimed valuable witnesses had not been interviewed.
The force did not uphold any of the complaints. But Eve believes the criminal case only progressed when she raised concerns with her MP and MSP.
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Despite this she has received a wealth of support from agencies including Highland abuse charity RASHAD, Scottish Women's Aid and Victim Support and started making steel art to help cope with her trauma.
She said: 'I feel like from day one I have had to fight tooth and nail. But I hope this case will help other women realise you can get justice.'
Defence advocate Jonathan Deans asked for McDonald to be spared jail, saying he had led a 'pro-social life' and carried out charity work since retiring. He said he had given up drinking in 1989 and was now in a new relationship.
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Jailing him and sentencing him to a 10-year non-harrasment order, judge Michael O'Grady KC told McDonald he had displayed 'deeply unpleasant and gratuitous cruelty'.
The judge said: 'These episodes demonstrate a disturbing propensity towards violence and cruelty towards your victim.
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'The situation can only be resolved by way of a custodial sentence.'
A Police Scotland spokesman said: 'Police Scotland remains committed to improving our response to, and drive the change needed to end, violence against women and girls and we work closely with our partners to achieve this.
'Our service to victims of domestic abuse has drastically improved in the last 40 years.
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'A complaint about the police was received in April 2023, which included concerns regarding the handling of historical domestic abuse. The complaint concerning the police investigation into the historical matters was not upheld, and a subsequent review by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) concluded that this aspect of the complaint had been handled to a reasonable standard.
'Police Scotland will not tolerate domestic abuse of any kind. If you are experiencing or have experienced any type of abuse, please contact us on 101. You can be assured of being fully supported by specialist officers and our partner agencies.'
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A former MP who helped Eve in her battle for justice has also urged other victims of historical abuse to reach out for help.
Drew Hendry, who was an SNP Member of Parliament for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey from 2015 until the seat was abolished last year, raised the mum's concerns over the investigation with Crown Office officials in 2023.
He said: 'It's only right that consequences are seen to be delivered for those guilty of carrying out abuse and I hope this verdict gives Eve some feeling that justice has been done for her.
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'I know that she's had to endure a tough journey.
'It may be understandably hard to take that first step, but it's vital that those suffering abuse come forward and seek help.
'I've seen lives transformed by the help of people at organisations such as Women's Aid and I urge anyone suffering from abuse to seek support.'
If you are suffering abuse, support can be found at Scottish Women's Aid by phoning 0800 027 1234 or emailing [e-mail]
Victim Support Scotland's free helpline can be contacted on 0800 160 1985.