A St Andrews business owner was given a dressing down by a sheriff after trying to “negotiate” the terms of his sentence for domestic abuse.
Ali Arayan, who runs Dino’s takeaway in Tom Morris Drive, pled guilty to assaulting his former partner by repeatedly punching her on the head and seizing her by the hair.
The incident happened on busy Market Street in St Andrews on August 5 and caused injury to the woman.
Arayan, 37, also admitted assaulting a child by slapping him on the head, causing him to fall on to a bed, at a property in Dalrymple Terrace in Dundee.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, Sheriff Lorna Drummond ordered him to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and to pay a fine of £450.
But Arayan said he would struggle to complete the work due to his business commitments and asked “can’t we negotiate?”
Sheriff Drummond told him: “This is not up for negotiation.
“You must agree to this order or I cannot impose it.
“If I can’t impose the order you will go to prison.”
Sheriff Drummond added that in her opinion the assault on the woman was too serious to be a summary complaint, which carries a lesser sentence.
The court heard Arayan’s background report, carried out by social workers, was not in his favour.
His solicitor, Jim Caird, said: “It’s not a good report, there’s no doubt about that.
“I have discussed this with him.
“His record is not the worst and there is nothing analogous, no other domestic matters.
“His position is that it was a one-off situation.
“He has a successful business and has a good income.”
After being sternly told by his solicitor to stop arguing with the sheriff, Arayan eventually agreed to complete the community payback order.
He has one year to carry out the unpaid work assigned to him.
Aryan, of Tom Morris Drive, was also made subject to a three-year non-harassment order banning him from contacting or approaching the woman, or attempting to approach or contact her in any way.
He is also prohibited from entering Dalrymple Terrace for the same time period.
