A man pinned his ex-partner to the wall by her throat in a row over a dog.
Shane Donnellan had fallen out with the woman and had gone around to her house in Kemnay on the eve of his birthday.
When he arrived, he found several people in the kitchen and asked her about the dog – before then punched her in the head.
As others tried to pull the 31-year-old thug off the woman, he grabbed the woman by the neck and pinned her to a wall.
Police attended and arrested Donnellan.
He appeared in court later and was ordered not to go into the property where he attacked the woman.
But he ignored the order within two days.
At a hearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Sheriff Peter Grant-Hutchison said he was not impressed by Donnellan’s behaviour.
The sheriff told him bluntly: “It seems to me you are begging for a prison sentence.”
Fiscal depute Rebecca Coakley said: “At around 8.45pm on July 7 this year, there were several people in the kitchen of the property at the locus.
‘He punched her in the head’
“The accused entered and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
“He was irate and he requested that he be able to get his dog back.
“In an attempt to deescalate the situation, the complainer said he could take the dog and leave.
“As she said this, he punched her in the head.
“Two others intervened and asked the accused to leave the property but he refused.
“He grabbed the complainer by the throat and pushed her against the wall.”
Donnellan was told by a court sheriff on July 17 not to go into the property and not see the victim – but he defied that.
Ms Coakley said: “At about 7.20pm on July 19, the accused had agreed to meet the complainer outside, at a distance, to discuss the exchange of the dog.
“The accused began to argue with her and entered the property in an attempt to get the dog.”
‘This is well worthy of a prison sentence’
The court heard how Donnellan left but then “barged in” to the property again and grabbed the dog, before police were called.
Donnellan, of Paradise Road, Kemnay, admitted assault and breach of a bail condition.
He denied a charge of spitting on an a police officer and his not-guilty plea was accepted by the Crown.
A report was written about Donnellan’s approach to his offending – and Sheriff Grant-Hutchison criticised Donnellan’s input into the report.
The report recommended that Donnellan be given support outside of prison.
Sheriff Grant-Hutchison said: “But he doesn’t seem to think so.
“The offence is well worthy of a prison sentence.”
For the breach-of-bail charge, Sheriff Grant-Hutchison made Donnellan subject of a two-year community punishment order.
He also ordered Donnellan to enrol on the Caledonian Programme for domestic-abuse offenders.
We reported last week that 10 people fall victim to domestic abuse across Grampian, the Highlands and Islands every day.
The sheriff also reserved sentencing for the assault charge until January 16 and said he would consider the progress Donnellan makes in the mean time.
“This gentleman has a very good incentive to avoid jail,” said the sheriff added.