An Angus woman fleeing her angry partner managed to flag down passing police called by a neighbour woken by the 5am festive row.
Terry Meighan had already attacked his partner in his house during a drinking binge which began the day before, then pulled her to the ground in the street before she was able to break free and run off.
The 38-year-old has been ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work after being slammed by a sheriff over the fact he was on another community order for a similar offence at the time of the incident.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond told Forfar Sheriff Court Meighan and his girlfriend were drinking at his home on December 20 last year, then went out into town and returned home, where they were joined by a friend around 2am.
The fiscal said: “About 5am the accused appeared to have become angry at his girlfriend and accused her and the friend of seeing each other behind his back.”
Meighan twice threw her to the floor, pinning her down the second time by sitting on her chest while she was on her back.
“A neighbour heard the disturbance,” added Ms Drummond. “She then managed to leave the locus but the accused followed her and pulled her to the ground.
“She screamed and then managed to make off up Nursery Road, where they continued to argue.
“She flagged down a passing police vehicle. Officers noted she had grazed elbows and her top was covered in dirt. She was intoxicated, but told police what had happened.”
Solicitor Nick Markowski said the couple had been involved for around two years.
“Unfortunately both have appeared in court during the course of the relationship.
“They spent Christmas and New Year together and he was then placed on special bail conditions preventing him from approaching her,” he added.
Meighan, of Glenesk Avenue, Montrose pled guilty to repeatedly seizing the woman, throwing her to the ground and pinning her to the floor, following her from the property and throwing her to the ground, to her injury on December 21.
Sheriff Derek Reekie told him: “The first concern the court has is that at the time of this you were already subject to a community payback order for the same sort of offending involving the same person, so that sounds alarm bells.
“You were both drinking heavily over an extended period, but you are the one here who has pled guilty to quite a significant charge.”
Meighan was also placed under year-long supervision.
