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Abusive father-of-two punched partner as she cradled their newborn baby

Peter Groat pleaded guilty to assault and culpable and reckless conduct.
Peter Groat pleaded guilty to assault and culpable and reckless conduct.

A domestic abuser punched his partner as she cradled the couple’s newborn baby, a court has been told.

Peter Groat, 21, appeared in the dock at Banff Sheriff Court where he pleaded guilty to assaulting Sarah Groat during a row.

He also admitted to culpable and reckless conduct when he endangered the safety of his partner by ripping off a door handle and launching it “in close proximity” to her.

The dad-of-two from Fraserburgh was reported to the police by his wife after the breakdown of the couple’s relationship in September 2021.

Peter Groat committed the crimes while he lived in Banff with his now ex-partner.

Fiscal depute Jennifer Pritchard said they had been in a relationship for almost four years and Mrs Groat reported him at Fraserburgh Police Station in January this year.

She told the court the first incident happened in September 2018 at their then-family home on Boyndie Street in Banff.

“Shortly after the birth of one of their children the complainer and the accused were at home when an argument ensued,” the fiscal said.

“The complainer had her back to the accused with her small child in her arms and the accused punched her to the back. It was not reported at the time.”

Peter Groat, 21, appeared at Banff Sheriff Court.

Another incident had taken place on New Year’s Day in 2019, the court heard.

The fiscal added: “An argument again ensued between the complainer and accused and during the argument the accused struck a door and pulled a metal handle off of the door and threw it with the complainer being in close proximity.

“This occurred within one of the children’s bedrooms with the child being present.”

Groat’s defence agent Marianne Milligan said her client gave his own very similar account of the incidents to social workers.

She said: “He took full responsibility and stated it was his fault. He should not have let things go this far and he should have walked away.”

The solicitor added that the first argument was about adopted Groat’s birth mother and that it “escalated from there”.

She said the second incident occurred when the couple was “in a bad place”.

“He is regretful for his actions,” Mrs Milligan added. “He doesn’t know what he was thinking.”

‘Not coping in a stressful situation’

The court also heard details of Groat’s mental health issues and that his sentencing in a separate case at Peterhead Sheriff Court, concerning the same woman, has been deferred for good behaviour.

Sheriff Robert McDonald told Groat: “I have to take a serious view of domestic abuse however it arises.

“However, I do note that you were a very young man at the time. You were obviously not coping well in a stressful situation.

“In the circumstances, matters can best be dealt with by a community payback order.”

He handed Groat, of Frithside Street, Fraserburgh, a nine-month supervision order.

Groat was also given a one-year-long non-harassment order, barring him from contacting his ex other than to arrange contact with his children.

‘I felt scared’

Speaking after the case’s conclusion, Sarah Groat, 21, told the Press and Journal that she had felt forced to “walk on eggshells” around her husband every day, hoping he wouldn’t “kick-off”.

“Every little thing would set him off and he’d be overly angry compared with a normal person.

“I felt scared. I didn’t like to admit it to anyone. I didn’t tell anyone that it was happening.”

“When we moved in together, I noticed his anger issues. He would punch doors an awful lot over little things.”

Mrs Groat, who married him on May 28 2021, said that she is now in the process of divorcing her husband.

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