A ROYAL Navy submariner refused to let his fiancee tell her parents about their wedding, a court has heard.

Paul Sly’s former partner told a trial at Dumbarton Sheriff Court that the 36-year-old had arranged their wedding just two weeks after they got engaged.

The woman also told the court that on occasions when she wore shorts, Mr Sly told her she was “fat, so shouldn’t wear clothes like that” – and that he claimed he couldn’t remember spitting in her face or cutting her leg.

Mr Sly, of Rowan Drive, Dumbarton, denies eight charges – five of assault, and three or threatening or abusive behaviour – allegedly committed at addresses in Helensburgh’s Collins Road and Tom-a-Mhoid in Rosneath, and at the Clyde Bar in Helensburgh.

The Crown alleges that the offences were committed between August 2012 and March 2017.

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Mr Sly’s partner gave evidence from behind a screen on the second day of the trial on Wednesday, January 22.

It is alleged that Mr Sly assaulted his former partner of six years in a number of ways, including by spitting on her, urinating in her mouth, cutting her leg with a piece of broken glass, and seizing her by the neck and compressing it.

Mr Sly’s former partner told the court last Wednesday that she met him whilst working in the café at HM Naval Base Clyde, where he also worked, as a Royal Navy submariner.

When asked by procurator fiscal depute Sarah Healing if she had discussed any of the alleged domestic incidents with Mr Sly, the woman said: “I did try to, but he dismissed it.

“He didn’t want to speak about it. He said he couldn’t remember anything.

“I did tell him he spat in my face and hurt my leg, however he couldn’t recall any of it.”

When asked why she didn’t bring an end to the relationship after the first incident, the complainer went on to say: “I felt very frightened.

“When I met Paul I was naïve – I was quite young, just out of college and just started my first job.

“He was the first ‘man’ I had dated. Everyone else was younger. I’m 28, and I think he’s eight years older than me.”

The complainer told the court that Mr Sly went to sea for around three months at a time, and when he was away it enabled her to have some “respite time from the ongoing abuse”.

As well as the alleged physical abuse, Mr Sly was described by his former partner as being emotionally abusive towards her.

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She told the court: “I would wear shorts if we went out for the day.

“I was a size 12 and he would comment on how big my legs were and that I was fat so shouldn’t wear clothes like that.

“I lost a lot of confidence.

“If I didn’t wear make-up, he would say things such as ‘put your make-up on’ and comment on how good his friends’ partners looked.”

The complainer also claimed that two weeks after getting engaged to Mr Sly in 2014, he arranged a wedding and they got married.

Ms Healing asked who was at the wedding and she replied: “Paul, myself, the registrar, and two of Paul’s friends.

“I wasn’t allowed to tell my parents.”

On the first day of the trial, Mr Sly’s former partner said the couple had been separated since September or October of 2018.

The trial, before Sheriff Maxwell Hendry, was adjourned until next month.

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