A care home entertainer attacked his wife on Christmas Day and twisted her finger until it broke.
Musician William Anderson admitted a 15-month campaign of violence and abuse against his partner at their Fife home.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard that the 63-year-old spat in his wife’s face, and on another occasion caused her to suffer a hamstring tear.
Anderson, from Leslie, was sentenced to unpaid work.
Fractured finger
The court heard that Anderson met his wife-to-be while on holiday in Bulgaria. They moved to Scotland in 2010.
Procurator fiscal depute Jamie Hilland said Anderson’s first violent outburst came on Christmas Day in 2018, following an argument over something small.
Mr Hilland said: “The accused went outside to have a cigarette.
“The complainer also went outside and the argument became heated.”
The fiscal depute told the court: “The accused took hold of the complainer’s right hand and twisted her fingers with force.
“She went back into the house and was in pain.
“The complainer describes her fingers as appearing disfigured.”
The woman went to hospital the next day and an x-ray revealed a fractured finger.
She told hospital staff she had injured her finger moving her daughter’s bed.
Hamstring tear
Mr Hilland said that following another argument in October 2019, Anderson pushed the woman into a fence in their garden with force.
She immediately felt a “pop” at the back of her leg and was in excruciating pain.
The next day, medics told her she had suffered soft tissue damage and needed physiotherapy.
The woman told hospital staff she had slipped on ice.
She was treated by a physiotherapist who diagnosed a hamstring tear.
Snapped after bank card rejected
The court was told of another assault in January 2021.
Anderson’s wife was at home making dinner, when her husband went out to the shop, Mr Hilland said.
When he returned he accused her of cancelling his bank card, which had been declined.
An argument broke out and Anderson spat in the woman’s face.
The fiscal depute said the argument escalated and Anderson kicked the woman, before throwing her onto a bed and climbing on top of her.
‘Wholly unacceptable’ behaviour
Solicitor Christine Hagan, defending, said first offender Anderson accepted that his behaviour was “wholly unacceptable,” particularly the spitting.
The court heard that Anderson was a musician who would be called to help entertain at care homes and for children’s charities.
Sheriff Ian Anderson ordered Anderson to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and placed him on supervision for a year.
Anderson was told his sentence was a “direct alternative to custody”.
The sheriff also warned him not to take any action that would cause the woman alarm or upset.
The sheriff added: “You have to be careful in dealing with your partner or former partner in these circumstances.”
Anderson, of Glenwood Road, pled guilty to assaulting his then wife by seizing her by the hand and twisting her fingers to her injury, on Christmas day 2018.
He also admitted engaging in a course of abusive behaviour by pushing her into a fence, spitting on her face, kicking her on the body, throwing her onto a bed and sitting on top of her, shouting and swearing at her and calling her abusive and degrading names, between October 2019 and January 2021.
