Craig is a heterosexual male in his early 40s. He lives in Glasgow and is currently unemployed due to mental health issues and being in recovery from alcoholism.
He was referred to Sacro’s Bail Mentoring Service by his Criminal Justice Social Worker at Glasgow Sheriff Court after being placed on a Supervised Bail Order on various Domestic Abuse charges.
Craig suffered from severe mental health issue, suicidal tendencies, and was combating aggressive alcoholism. He had attempted to take his own life three times, with two of these attempts taking place whilst on the phone to his Bail Mentor who fortunately was able to intervene and alerted emergency services to Craig’s home address. After these suicide attempts, further protective measures were put in place for him by the Bail Mentoring Service. These included additional referrals to mental health service, addiction support, and two weekly peer support meetings with his Bail Mentor. One meeting took place over the phone and the other was a face-to-face peer support meeting in a safe space where Craig could relax and enjoy a conversation over a cup of tea. During these peer support meetings, a strong bond of trust was established between Craig and his Bail Mentor which allowed a deeper understanding of the personal issues facing him.
Due to his own alcoholism, and that of his ex-partner’s, Craig was unaware that he was living in a very abusive relationship, despite having suffered significant physical injuries and severe emotional scaring. Prior to being placed on a Supervised Bail Order, Craig had lost 20 days of his liberty on remand due to a false allegation of domestic abuse by his ex-partner. Subsequently, all charges against him for the offences that he was on the Supervised Bail Order for were dismissed by the Sheriff as it was accepted by the Court that he was the victim of a prolonged period of physical, emotional, and financial abuse by his ex-partner
Whilst on the Bail Mentoring Service, Craig has been supported to access alcohol recovery services, and has been successfully referred to mental health support services including cognitive behavioural therap¬y. Due to him being a survivor of Domestic Abuse, he is now also being supported by his FearFree Peer Support Worker. FearFree is a service provided by Sacro that helps survivors of domestic abuse who identify as male or from the LGBT community. In addition to a weekly telephone appointment, Craig’s FearFree Peer Support Worker meets with him weekly for a coffee; something he has stated “helps him get through the week and unload any worries”.
Since being supported by the Bail Mentoring Service and, now FearFree, Craig has managed to abstain from alcohol and has stated he has seen an improvement with his mental health and his personal well-being.
Since being supported by the Bail Mentoring Service and, now FearFree, Craig has managed to abstain from alcohol and has stated he has seen an improvement with his mental health and his personal well-being. Although he is still coming to terms with the fact he is a victim of domestic abuse, his two weekly appointments, established by the Bail Mentoring Service, allow him to discuss his experiences in a safe and natural environment.