A Moray restaurant owner and chef spent the night behind bars after his first night out since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic turned nasty at home.
Aaron Judge, who is known as the Bearded Chef, was arrested after a struggle with his wife on June 11 this year.
During the domestic incident that involved Judge shouting, swearing and acting aggressively, the police were called over safety concerns.
The 42-year-old businessman, who owns The Bearded Chef catering firm and Elgin restaurant HQ, had earlier been enjoying an evening out with his wife.
When Judge appeared in the dock at Elgin Sheriff Court, his defence solicitor said that the pressures of keeping the couple’s business afloat had led to rising tensions at home.
‘Tensions were high’
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh said there was an altercation when the couple of six years returned to their Elgin home after a night out.
“They had gone for a meal and then visited a few licensed premises thereafter.
“At about 12.30am, they decided to return home. They had a minor verbal confrontation and tensions were high between them.
“They got home and the accused was noted to be slamming a cupboard door off the wall in the hallway.”
The police were called to the disturbance and Judge later spent a night in custody at Elgin police station.
The chef, who has also appeared as an extra in TV shows including Outlander, Good Omens and The Crown, most recently appeared in the dock at Elgin Sheriff Court.
He admitted one charge of threatening or abusive behaviour, shouting and swearing and engaging in a struggle with his wife.
In a separate charge, he also pled guilty to placing a child in a headlock.
Judge and his wife launched The Bearded Chef as a private catering business in September 2018.
The firm grew to offer private dining, cocktail classes and outside catering, and the South Street restaurant HQ opened in September 2020.
But the pair had spent every day in each other’s company trying to keep their business afloat while the hospitality industry struggled with Covid restrictions, Judge’s defence solicitor said.
‘Relatively minor fallout’
Defence agent Stephen Carty said the “relatively minor fallout” came as a result of “tensions that had been building” in the household.
“During Covid, their entire focus was spent making sure the business stayed afloat,” the solicitor said. “That meant they spent all day, every day in each other’s company.
“This was their first time out together in two years. It was a relatively minor fallout between the pair and the fact was tensions had been building.
“When they got home, the argument became somewhat more vocal.”
‘Embarrassed by behaviour’
Mr Carty added that Judge was “embarrassed by his behaviour” and told the court his client had analogous past domestic matters which had called before the court.
He said there had been no issues since and that Judge’s wife was in court supporting him.
Sheriff Eric Brown placed Judge, of Maxwell Street in Fochabers, on a structured deferred sentence and ordered he be of good behaviour for six months.
This article was amended on 29/11/22 to make clear that the police were called by another individual, not Judge’s wife. We apologise for any confusion.
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