A jealous boyfriend assaulted his partner and searched her home – because he thought he could smell another man’s aftershave.
Lewis Booth, 29, had been rowing with his partner after he was accused of being unfaithful.
And when he went round to collect his belongings from her flat, the row escalated with both parties accused the other of cheating, and Booth lost his temper after believing he could smell another man’s aftershave.
Booth searched her flat while the woman tried to explain there was nobody there, and also assaulted her, grabbing her by the face and pushing her against a wall.
Fiscal despite Alison Reid told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “The complainer and the accused started a relationship in January 2019. They separated later that year but then continued an on-off relationship until May 2020.
“At that time they separated due to suggestions of infidelity.
“The complainer described the relationship towards the end as being quite turbulent with a number of arguments and disagreements.
“During the evening of June 26 the complainer and accused became involved in an argument over social media about the accused apparently having been unfaithful.
“The complainer asked the accused to attend at her home address to collect the rest of his belongings.
“During the afternoon of June 27 the accused arrived at the property to collect his belongings. Whilst within the property the accused asked the complainer ‘who is here?”, suspecting that someone else was within.
“She explained nobody else was within the flat but the accused didn’t seem to believe her and started to search the flat, looking for someone.
“The complainer stated ‘I told you there was nobody here’, at which point he turned and grabbed hold of her face.
“He thereafter pinned her against a wall.
“The accused took hold of the complainer’s face for a matter of seconds before letting her go. He then picked up a small vanity mirror that belonged to her and threw it to the ground causing it to smash.
“He one again grabbed hold of her face. He thereafter pushed her face against a wall, causing her some pain.
“She was held in this position for a maximum, she thinks, of 20 seconds before he let her go.
“He continued to collect his belongings and while he was doing so he picked up a small ornament and threw it in her direction, causing her to move to avoid being hit with the object.
“He then approached her and again took hold of her face,
“Eventually he left the flat taking his belongings with him.
“The complainer contacted the police. They arrived a short time later and found her visibly upset.”
Ms Reid added the broken mirror was valued at £30.
Booth pled guilty to charges of assault and vandalism.
Defence agent Mike Monro said: “As we have all fought our way through 2020, my client’s problems were not made any easier by financial problems.
“He had lost his job, he was not behaving in a way he knew he should be, he had been drinking to excess. Matters got pretty fraught.
“The accused got it into his head that she may be seeing someone else, and she thought the same of the accused.
“Both of them were a million miles off the mark.
“He thought he could smell aftershave which he knew was not his, so he went all around the house searching here, there and everywhere for somebody that was not there.
“That having happened the accused and complainer exchanged words. The accused has obviously gone far too far and he assaulted the complainer.”
Mr Monro confirmed the pair were back together and continued to be in a relationship.
Sheriff Ian Wallace ordered Booth, of Marchburn Drive, Aberdeen, to be supervised for two years, to complete the Caledonian programme, and to carry out 75 hours of unpaid work.
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