A man has walked free from court following a domestic incident at an Aberdeen hotel after a sheriff heard his girlfriend “gave as good as she got”.
David Townsley appeared from custody at the city’s sheriff court yesterday and admitted lashing out in the early hours of Saturday while staying at the Caledonian Hotel.
The court heard the 28-year-old and his partner, Hannah MacDonald, had been visiting Aberdeen for the weekend and had been out for dinner and some drinks on Friday.
However, the pair soon began to row about his ex-girlfriend and they headed back to the hotel.
The court heard that when they arrived the argument continued, and Townsley punched a wall causing a sign to smash.
Other residents could hear the commotion coming from their room so called staff at the reception, who notified the police.
And when officers arrived they found Miss MacDonald in a distressed state with her hair straighteners smashed into pieces across the room.
Representing Townsley, solicitor Shane Campbell said when police questioned Miss MacDonald she said they had been shouting at each other.
He said: “Both the accused and his girlfriend hail from Perth and had been in Aberdeen for a weekend away. They had been out in the evening for a meal and had both consumed alcohol.
“They began to argue and it became extremely heated. Both were giving as good as each other. The accused picked up her straighteners and threw them against the wall. Police arrived and spoke to both the accused and the complainer. She said she did not wish to make a complaint.”
Sheriff Christine McCrossan said she could not understand why, given “the complainer gave as good as she got”, Townsley had ended up in custody over the weekend.
She said she accepted he had made a nuisance of himself in a public place but said his stay in the cells was punishment enough.
She admonished Townsley, of Gowans Terrace, Perth.