‘Slave master’ quit role with city charity

A HUSBAND who lashed his wife with a belt over a bizarre sex agreement has resigned as a director of a city charity.

Scott Western, 44, became a “slave master” to wife Therese at their Wester Hailes flat after the pair entered into a sadomasochistic pact in a bid to save their 15-year marriage.

He faces jail after a court heard of the string of violent beatings he inflicted on her when she “broke the rules”.

And it has now emerged that Western has resigned from his position at the Wester Hailes-based Community Help and Advice Initiative, which he has been involved with since 1997.

CHAI project manager David Gardner said: “He had admitted to us he was the subject of criminal proceedings of a domestic nature. He resigned at the same time that he was pleading guilty to the offences.”

Charity staff were unaware of the precise nature of the allegations against Western. He left his position as director last year once the criminal investigation began, although he returned when he believed the case against him would be dropped and was re-elected at an AGM in September.

Mr Gardner said Western had not come into contact with service users. “It was a voluntary and hands-off role. Directors meet once a month and review reports and oversee the financial side of things.

“I had a conversation with him and he said he had been given legal advice to plead guilty. I think he realised he should stand down. He contributed as all directors do. Whatever happened in his personal life is a personal tragedy. It had nothing to do with his work.”

Western pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Mrs Western, 46, on June 10 last year.

He admitted assaulting his wife, threatening her with violence, inducing her to remove her clothes, slapping her on the face and body, striking her on the body with a belt, seizing her by the hair, pushing her on to a couch and slapping her.

Mrs Western went to police after suffering three beatings on the same day at their flat in Murrayburn Place, leaving her needing hospital treatment.

Both Western and his wife had signed a copy of the contract, which contained rules for the couple’s master and slave relationship, specifying sexual acts and household chores which had to be completed by Mrs Western. She faced “punishment” if she failed to comply. Among the “rules” that she broke and received a beating for were failing to answer a question quickly enough, opening the passenger door of their car instead of waiting for him to do it and refusing to have sex when he wanted.

Western, a community worker, has no previous convictions. In mitigation it was said the couple had an “unusual relationship” which could be “categorised as alternative”.

CHAI, a social welfare charity to relieve poverty, has received funding from the city council, NHS Lothian and Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Partnership. A council spokesperson said: “This is a matter for CHAI.”

Western, who now lives in Murrayburn Grove, will be sentenced next month.