A NORTH man used a chainsaw to carve his way through a door after his girlfriend and brother locked him out of the house and shut the curtains.
The terrifying daytime incident happened after Donald Emmerich was sent out to buy whisky – and returned to find himself left out in the cold.
At first he tried to attract his girlfriend and brother’s attention by climbing on to the porch of the home, as he believed they were in an upstairs bedroom.
When that failed, the 47-year-old grabbed the electric chainsaw, hacked his way through the locked door then attacked his brother and hit his girlfriend Helen Bonner when she tried to intervene.
Tain Sheriff Court heard the drama unfolded at Henry Emmerich’s home at Faskally Cottages in Brora. Emmerich, of 27 Fraser Road, Golspie, admitted hamesucken and assault and was jailed for eight months.
A further month was added to his sentence because he was on licence for another assault at the time.
Hamesucken is the relatively rare charge in Scots Law which covers forcibly entering someone’s house to attack the occupant.
Fiscal depute Karen Smith said Miss Bonner and Henry Emmerich heard banging on the door and someone shouting to be let in at around 2.40pm on January 16.
They believed it was Donald Emmerich – and ignored him.
His brother then went downstairs when he heard more noise outside.
Ms Smith said: “Henry went into the kitchen and saw the door was being cut into with a chainsaw. He went upstairs, told Miss Bonner and the police were called. Emmerich cut through the door, went into the house then went upstairs and assaulted his brother.
“He repeatedly struck him on the head and body and then pushed him over face forwards on to the floor and stamped on his back.
“Miss Bonner tried to intervene and he struck her on the face.
“They continued to try to calm him down and the police arrived.”
She said Emmerich was arrested and taken to Burnett Road Police Station in Inverness.
Emmerich’s agent, solicitor Ruben Murdanaigum, said Henry Emmerich sent his brother to buy whisky in Golspie and then went to his home with the latter’s girlfriend.
When Emmerich later arrived at the house the doors were locked and the curtains closed, said the solicitor.
He got no response to knocking and shouting so climbed on to the porch and tapped on the window of the upstairs bedroom.
Mr Murdanaigum said Emmerich was concerned when got no response as his brother had been unwell, and “cut a little hole” through the door with the chainsaw to get in.
He added: “His girlfriend and brother were upstairs and they had been drinking a lot.
“When he went in his brother asked him to leave. He was concerned about his girlfriend and asked her to leave with him. He deeply regrets getting involved with his brother and with his girlfriend.
“Mr Emmerich is very close to his brother. They both drink a lot, argue a lot and fight a lot, but they make their peace.”
He said Emmerich was “not a violent man” and that his nine-page record of convictions were mainly for dishonesty.
Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist pointed out that Emmerich was previously jailed for 20 months for attacking someone to their severe injury.
He said: “To say he is not a violent man is stretching the truth.”