A man who attacked his partner in bed had been spared jail after he admitted the domestic assault.
Jordan Hooper straddled the woman and punched her, before pulling her out of bed by her leg and causing her to fall to the floor.
A sheriff warned the 24-year-old – who has previous convictions for domestic abuse – that he was “on the very cusp” of being sent to prison.
Hooper appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to be sentenced, having previously pled guilty to a charge of domestic assault and breaching a bail condition to stay away from the woman.
Fiscal depute David Morton told the court that the assault took place in the early hours of November 22 last year.
He said the pair had been talking in bed together at Hooper’s Academy Street home in Inverness when the accused became “suddenly” angry.
Man straddled and punched partner
He said: “He climbed on top of her, straddling her and sitting on top of her, whilst punching her on the right arm and body.”
The woman shouted for her partner to stop.
He got off, but then grabbed her by the leg “taking a grip of it” and pulled from off the bed, causing her to fall to the floor.
The assault was reported to police the following day.
After his arrest, Hooper was bailed with a condition not to contact the woman, but was later discovered in her company by police who attended reports of an ongoing disturbance.
Solicitor David Patterson, for Hooper, said: “It is an incredibly serious offence – he knows that.”
He told Sheriff Neil Wilson that his client accepted “full responsibility” for the offence and was “remorseful”.
Shame of domestic abuser
He said: “He is quite ashamed and so he should be”, adding that his client had been “visibly wincing” as his crimes were narrated to the court.
Mr Patterson explained that Hooper had been the victim of a serious assault, which had led to a “turning point” in his life.
He said: “He fell into old habits. When he drinks, he drinks, and this immaturity starts showing again.”
Sheriff Wilson told Hooper: “With your two recent analogous convictions involving domestic allegations, you are on the very cusp of being sent to prison.”
He instead placed him on a community payback order with two years of supervision and 180 hours of unpaid work in the community.
He also required Hooper to take part in the Caledonian Men’s Programme, designed to address domestic abuse behaviours.