A north-east man has been given a chance to prove he is a “law-abiding citizen” after he attacked his girlfriend.
Stuart Corstorphine, 34, appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court yesterday where he admitted attacking Jenna Reid by grabbing her neck and pushing her on June 8.
The court heard that Corstorphine, of High Street, St Combs, had come home appearing to be under the influence of drugs.
Miss Reid confronted him and an argument broke out which boiled over into violence when he seized her round her neck and pushed her.
Fiscal depute Carrie Stevens told the court that Miss Reid had punched him to get him to back off and then called the police.
Defence agent Iain Jane told the court that Corstorphine had been with his partner for eight years but said they had hit a rocky patch in their relationship.
Mr Jane said his client had sought solace with a group of friends who he regularly went out drinking with and had also started to smoke cannabis, which Miss Reid did not approve of.
He said that Corstorphine was “appalled and ashamed” by his actions but had made amends with his girlfriend and would be able to return to the home they shared.
Sheriff Christine McCrossan deferred sentence for six months to allow him to be of good behaviour.
She said: “You have a limited record and it’s very old so I take from that you are a law-abiding citizen who has a normal relationship that has had some problems.
“Clearly if you are having difficulties you are going to have to find another way to deal with them rather than doing something else that is going to continue to cause problems.”