A YOUNG Benarty woman, who died tragically last summer, had been attacked violently by her partner around a fortnight before.

Demi Clarke, 20, was grabbed by the throat, knocked to the ground and kicked by Adam Wallace during the incident in Dunfermline town centre on June 16.

On July 2, she fell ill during a night out with friends and died three days later at the Victoria Hospital in what is believed to have been a drugs-related fatality.

Wallace, 22, of William Street, Dunfermline, admitted that on June 16, at Douglas Street, and elsewhere, he assaulted Demi Clarke, his then partner, he repeatedly pursued her, seized her by the body – causing her to fall to the ground – kicked her on the head and body, repeatedly blocked her path, seized her by the throat and repeatedly pushed her against a wall, all to her injury.

Depute fiscal Jennifer Graham told Dunfermline Sheriff Court that at 10.30pm, various members of the public at the Tesco store in Carnegie Drive saw a female running along the road, pursued by Wallace.

“She ended up on the ground and he kicked her on the head and body. She was screaming and crying.

“Members of the public went to her assistance and helped her to her feet. She ran to the store where the accused then pushed her against a wall. He held his hand against her throat. She was extremely distressed.”

Police were contacted and she told officers that there had been argument and she ran out from the bar they were in with no shoes on.

The depute went on: “She said she ran down the street, he grabbed her arm and she fell. He had kicked her, striking her near her eye. She sustained a cut to her eyelid.”

Defence solicitor James Moncrieff said: “The complainer is now deceased. She had taken illicit substances, there was a significant reaction to this, causing her to pass away. That was not long after this had taken place.”

Wallace had minimised the offence to social workers and Mr Moncrieff said this was because he had “panicked” when being interviewed.

“He’s aware this incident does not reflect well on him. The two of them had been in a relationship. She had also been in a relationship with another male at times and there was something of a love triangle.

“She had been phoning this other male which caused the argument. Mr Wallace’s position is she was acting bizarrely and a struggle took place on the Glen Bridge.

“He pursued her afterwards saying, ‘I love you’. He accepts he shouldn’t have been pursuing her. He appreciates a custodial sentence may be at the forefront of the court’s mind but he wants now to live a more law-abiding life.”

Sheriff Pino di Emidio said: “This was an extremely nasty assault.” He told Wallace: “This was a prolonged incident involving you seizing the late Miss Clarke by the throat and also kicking her on the head.”

He imposed a community payback order with 180 hours of unpaid work.

Demi, 20, from Ballingry, died on July 5 at Victoria Hospital, three days after falling ill on a night out with friends.

She was a trainee chef having graduated from Fife College with an HNC in professional cookery.