The assault trial of Secret Millionaire Tony Banks has been put back to next month.
The 54-year-old appeared in front of Sheriff Pino Di Emidio at Forfar Sheriff Court and denied a summary complaint alleging a sustained assault against his partner in his Kirriemuir home on December 9 last year.
The Falklands veteran and Balhousie Care Group tycoon’s defence agent, Nick Whelan, said all parties were “anxious for it to be resolved.”
He added: “Given the time of day, and the pressures of court business, there would be a joint invitation to my lord to adjourn to another day.”
Sheriff Di Emidio agreed to adjourn the trial until March, adding: “It seems sensible to me not to inconvenience people further, if that is now clear.”
The court heard the trial would normally be given some precedence as a domestic matter, but this was superseded by a custody trial and a part-heard matter at summary level.
Banks previously appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court in early January following his arrest in connection with an alleged incident involving Kimberley Anderson at Platten in Brechin Road.
He is alleged to have spat on her and grabbed her by the throat.
He is accused of throwing a mobile phone at Ms Anderson, striking and kicking her on the body and repeatedly seizing her by the hair, repeatedly pulling her to the floor, repeatedly kneeling on her stomach, slapping her on the head, spitting on her and seizing her by the throat and compressing it, to her injury.
The court heard there would be seven or eight witnesses to give evidence.