A victim of domestic violence escaped serious injury thanks to her partner’s shoddy DIY skills, Perth Sheriff Court has heard.
John Kelly flung a chair across a room at Arlene Palmer following an argument about household chores.
It shattered into several pieces as it struck her outstretched arm, which had been raised to protect her from harm.
The court was told it was the second time in a matter of months she had faced attack by Kelly, a Bankfoot grandfather who had previously never been in trouble.
Solicitor Billy Somerville said: “It is fortunate that Miss Palmer did not sustain more serious injury.
“Thankfully the chair appears to have been of poor construction and it broke into several pieces.
“Mr Kelly had put it together himself. Perhaps a few steps had gone awry.”
The court heard that on the day of the offence, Ms Palmer had tidied the couple’s house from top to bottom.
Kelly, meanwhile had spent much of the day in the rear garden, though depute fiscal Stuart Richardson was unable to shed any light on what he had been doing, beyond burning some rubbish.
When he came inside at around 9pm he was smelling heavily of smoke and was invited by his partner to take a shower.
He did so, apparently without rancour, but then snapped and started an argument moments after his soak.
It ended as he picked up the chair and threw it across the room towards his partner. She sustained bruising to her arm but did not require medical attention.
Kelly, 51, of Glengarry Place in Bankfoot, admitted assaulting his partner at an address in Perth’s Glengarry Road on September 17 this year.
Mr Somerville said his client was hopeful of a reconciliation.
Sheriff Gillian Wade warned Kelly: “It is most unfortunate to see someone who is aged 51 and who has no history of offending other than what is happening within your family right now facing a custodial sentence.
“That is a very real possibility.”
The sheriff eventually stayed her hand, however, and placed Kelly on a community payback order requiring him to undertake 165 hours of unpaid work and the eight-week Positive Relationships group-work programme.
