A pensioner who broke his wife’s hip during a domestic attack has been allowed to avoid any punishment because she has forgiven him.
Robert Callan, 73, was admonished yesterday for attacking and injuring his wife Valerie during a row at the family home in Crieff.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told Mrs Callan, 73, had sustained a broken hip in the attack and needed to have emergency surgery on it.
Callan, of Sauchie Road, admitted assaulting his wife to her severe injury by pushing her on the body and causing her to fall to the ground on May 31.
Solicitor David Bell, defending, said the couple had no children and it would fall upon his client to be the main carer for his recuperating wife.
Mr Bell told the court: “This is a tragedy for him and for Mrs Callan. He is 73, with no previous convictions and they have been married for 53 years.
“Mrs Callan did not provide a statement to the police other than her verbal account and she did not wish for him to be charged.
“It seems to have been a relatively minor act of violence, but it has had serious consequences, and he accepts responsibility for those consequences.
“It was a moment of temper during an argument. She was going out of the door and he pushed her. He did not intend her to fall to the ground.
“The couple do not have any children. The person most likely to care for her will be my client.”
Sheriff Thomas Hughes previously granted Callan bail to allow him to return home the day after he admitted the charge so he could look after his wife.
The sheriff yesterday said he would not impose a punishment on the accused after noting he had stayed out of trouble since the incident.
Fiscal depute Laura Hogg told the court Callan had got into a row with his wife in their garden.
Neighbours heard Mrs Callan crying and shouting: “You deliberately pushed me. You put your hands on my back. You pushed me.”
“Police found the complainer on the concrete patio, lying on her side. Her right leg was sore and she couldn’t move it,” Ms Hogg said.
“Perth Royal Infirmary confirmed she sustained a broken hip.”
Callan confessed to pushing his wife in the back and said: “I did what I did.”
