A sheriff told a 21-year-old with a record of domestic violence that just because he witnessed it growing up was no excuse for him to do it himself.
Cameron Huggins was already on a non-harassment order to protect an ex-partner when he appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of assault and threatening behaviour on a new partner.
The offence occurred at an address on Admiral’s View, Inverness, on February 19 this year when he and the complainer returned home from work.
Fiscal depute Adele Gray said: “There was a minor disagreement and he went upstairs. Twenty minutes later he returned and went into the kitchen.”
Ms Gray said he kicked the door shut and started shouting and swearing at the woman.
“He called her an idiot and she asked him to leave but he pushed her on the shoulder causing her to fall back onto a railing. He leant over her and continued to shout into her face,” Ms Gray went on.
Police witnessed abusive behaviour
The court heard that Huggins left the property and was locked out but banged on the window, shouted and swore and demanded to get back in.
Ms Gray added that police who had been called witnessed this behaviour.
Sentence on Huggins, of Balvaird Terrace, Muir of Ord, had previously been deferred for a background report.
Defending, David Patterson told Sheriff David Harvie: “He accepts this was wholly unacceptable.
“The section about his past makes sad reading as he had these attitudes entrenched in those early years.
“He wants to change his ways and does not want to keep treating females in this way.
“But a pattern is developing and the men’s programme would help. He is immature in his way, does not have the tools to cope and flies off the handle.”
‘The next stage is likely to be custody’
Sheriff Harvie told Huggins: “What you witnessed in your young days does not mean you have a right to behave in that way.”
He placed him under social work supervision for two years, ordered him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid community work and to take part in the domestic abuser’s rehabilitation programme.
The sheriff also imposed a three-year-long non-harassment order to protect Huggins’ former partner.
He warned him if he did not comply or re-offended: “The next stage is likely to be custody.”
