A jealous Dingwall man who attacked his girlfriend after becoming convinced she had cheated on him has been jailed for a year.
Sean Fitzpatrick, 50 and described as an Inverness prisoner, had been in custody since June 14, the day after he handed himself in to police following the attack.
His partner Sandra MacIntyre suffered a perforated left eardrum, extensive bruising to her head including a black eye, bruising to both ears and to her scalp on both sides of her head.
She also sustained bruising round her right lower leg, a line of bruises down her back and bruising to the back of both arms at or just above her elbows.
At Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood heard she escaped permanent damage.
Stone mason Fitzpatrick admitted assaulting her to her injury in her city home on June 9 this year.
He also admitted previous convictions, including one in 2013 when he was jailed for a year for a knife attack on a Ross-shire man.
Fiscal Roderick Urquhart told the court that Fitzpatrick and Ms MacIntyre had been in a relationship for about two years.
On June 9, she and a friend Pauline Wilson both had a day off and decided to have a few drinks together.
“They began drinking in the early afternoon during which they were joined by Fitzpatrick and two of his friends.
“They left, followed shortly after by the two women who went to licensed premises before buying some wine and sweets to take back to the flat with them.” Mr Urquhart said.
He added that within five minutes of returning, Fitzpatrick angrily came in to the house claiming he had been locked out.
Later that evening, he accused her of having been with someone else, grabbed her by the head and pulled her off her chair, before repeatedly punching her on the head and body.
A blood covered Miss MacIntyre went to bed and when Fitzpatrick saw her the following morning, he had forgotten about the assault, Mr Urquhart went on.
“He was shocked by the sight of Ms MacIntyre’s bruised and bloodied face and body, fetched her paracetamol and water and ran her a shower.”
Ms Wilson returned to the flat on June 10 and reported the assault to police when she saw Ms MacIntyre’s injuries.
Three days later, Fitzpatrick gave himself up to police.
Defending, Duncan Henderson said that his client and Ms MacIntyre drank heavily but “when sober, it was a good relationship.
“She told hospital staff she would drink 2-7 bottles of wine a day. My client tells me that she had previously attacked him.”
