A Monifieth man avoided a jail term when he appeared for sentencing at Forfar Sheriff Court yesterday.
Allan Strachan, 58, of Broomhill Drive, had previously admitted assaulting his partner and breaching bail conditions by entering his partner’s home at Ravensby Park, Carnoustie on December 31 2018.
He had succumbed to temptation after being contacted by his girlfriend and asked to go round to her house to see in the new year.
When asked to leave he reacted by stamping on the woman’s foot and repeatedly slapping her.
The pair had been in a relationship for around 18 months, but Strachan was banned from seeing her as a result of special bail conditions put in place last May.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond told the court Strachan, his partner and another male were drinking through the day and into the evening on Hogmanay 2018.
At around 6pm his partner went through to the bedroom to watch TV, the accused also went through and an argument ensued. Strachan slapped the woman’s face before returning to the living room.
She also returned and at around 8pm he stamped on her foot and slapped her again, leading to the other man calling police.
When the police arrived they found Strachan attempting to hide in the bedroom, heavily under the influence of alcohol.
At the previous hearing, when Strachan appeared from custody, Sheriff Derek Reekie told him: “Your record does you no favours – it is littered with the words domestic and bail.
“You have four convictions for breach of special bail conditions and the only thing that can be said in your favour is the last conviction of this nature was eight years ago.”
He deferred sentence for one month for the preparation of a criminal justice report and a Restriction of Liberty Order assessment.
Strachan’s solicitor Ian Myles said his client was aware there were two alternatives – custody or a community payback order with supervision.
“I would request a CPO for 18 months under supervision which would allow him to attend a programme.”
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown told Strachan it appeared alcohol was the cause of his issues.
She said: “I know you have had support in the past and that you are going to your GP to deal with depression.
“You need to change your behaviour.”
On the recommendation of Strachan’s social worker, she sentenced him to a community payback order for 24 months under supervision to allow him to be assessed for a domestic abuse programme.
