A serial domestic abuser has been warned he will go to jail if there is any repeat of his decline into criminal offending.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard Shaun Burke had been law-abiding until the breakdown of his marriage, following which he had amassed three domestic convictions in what a sheriff described as “quick succession”.
Burke, 47, appeared before Sheriff Pino Di Emidio to be sentenced on the latest matter after previously admitting an incident at a house in Carnoustie’s Wards Avenue last November.
During the offence he pushed and grabbed his wife, as well as behaving in a threatening manner towards a man.
Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said: “He has not coped well with the relationship breakdown.”
He said the incident had arising from Burke interfering in his wife’s life and the accused now realised he could not do that.
“It’s unfortunately a case of someone struggling to come to terms with changes in his life.
“Unfortunately this is not the first offence of this type it’s his third.
“He was law abiding in his life until the breakdown of the relationship,” added Mr Rennie.
Sheriff Di Emidio told Burke, of Ivanhoe Place, Dundee: “It’s regrettable to see someone at your age and stage come before the courts on several occasions in quick succession on the same sort of matter.”
He imposed a Community Payback Order with one year of supervision and 110 hours unpaid work.
The sheriff told Burke: “A CPO is a step up in terms of what has happened previously and will be an alternative to prison.
“The court takes your conduct in this case very seriously indeed.”