Edinburgh abuser to be sued by family of Scottish student who took her own life

Angus Milligan, from Edinburgh, slapped, choked and slammed Emily Drouet’s head into a desk in the days before the teenager took her own life while the pair were students at the University of Aberdeen in 2016.

Milligan was convicted of assault and threatening behaviour and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work after a sheriff found him to be “controlling and violent” during a trial in 2017.

However, Emily’s mother Fiona has now lodged a “substantial” damages claim through the civil courts in an attempt to prove Milligan, now 23, was at fault for the law student’s death.

She established the Emily-Test charity shortly after her daughter’s passing and she now travels around the UK talking to college and university staff and students about the warning signs of gender-based violence.

She also called for helpline numbers to be made visible in student halls to encourage those experiencing psychological, sexual and physical abuse to report it.

In a social media post, she wrote: “Our family are unable to comment on civil action at this time. We can, however, confirm we are doing this to obtain justice for our adored daughter.”

She added: “Abusers need to face the devastation they cause.”

Milligan was booted off his psychology course at Aberdeen after admitting to sending her offensive messages and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and using abusive and offensive language before her death in 2016.

But last year, it was reported he had been offered a place at the prestigious Oxford Brookes University, despite staff being aware of his past conviction.

Milligan has been served with a court summons. However, it is understood he denies any responsibility and is planning to defend the action.