A husband and wife’s night out erupted into violence when an engineer kicked his spouse because she had fallen asleep drunk.
The incident in the Commercial Hotel in Keith on February 19 this year upset other patrons, including a woman, who was punched when she tried to intervene.
Dad-of-two Robert Dewar, 48, was holding a pool ball when he struck her a number of times to the face, causing her head to strike a wall. He was also shouting and swearing.
Fiscal depute Martina Eastwood told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald: “Other patrons restrained him and pushed him out the door.”
Ms Eastwood added that Dewar’s victim managed to land a punch on his mouth before police arrived.
“He was shouting: ‘I will stab you. I will kill you’ and officers placed him in a police marked car, where he began headbutting the window, seat and door,” she added.
Dewar was abusive to the officers, shouting and swearing at them before spitting at the face of one.
Dewar, of Glenburn Cottage, Rothiemay, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court and admitted two charges of threatening or abusive behaviour, two of assault and one of assault to injury.
Sheriff Macdonald deferred sentence until November 14 for a background report.
She told Dewar: “It is many years since you have appeared before the court and you have served a period of imprisonment. I will be looking at all options.”
His bail was continued.