A man who subjected his partner to a ‘savage’ drink-fuelled beating has been jailed for six months.
Corrine Aitken suffered two black eyes and multiple bruising and had lumps of her hair torn out by unemployed fisherman Gary Macleod, 39, who remembered nothing of the incident described by Sheriff Andrew Berry, as “an example of a very serious act of violence”.
Wick Sheriff Court heard that the couple had been out socially on the evening of March 26 in separate venues.
They exchanged texts but after Macleod asked where she was, things became so acrimonious that Miss Aitken decided to ignore further messages. Miss Aitken subsequently arrived at her home in Murchison Street and went to bed.
Fiscal Fraser Matheson said: “Her next recollection was waking up, injured and noticing clumps of her hair on the bedroom floor.”
Miss Aitken sought help from her brother who lives nearby at 4am, arriving in “a highly distressed” state, her face covered in blood and told him and his wife she had been attacked by Macleod. He admitted the assault and a record.
Police traced Macleod, 39, who was seen to have fresh injuries to his knuckles which were swollen and bleeding. Miss Aitken was treated at Caithness General Hospital for multiple bruising tenderness and cuts – the injuries covering most of her body.
When detained on suspicion of having assaulted his partner, Macleod, of Mackay Street, Castletown, replied to the caution: “Me and Corrine had a fallout, aye”.
Solicitor Fiona MacDonald said that Macleod’s drinking had increased when he wasn’t working and added: “It becomes excessive and gets out of control.”
She added: “He has nevertheless accepted his guilt and that might help him to rationalise his behaviour while under the influence of alcohol.”
However, Sheriff Berry, who was advised that the relationship with Miss Aitken was over, told Macleod: “I have to consider a number of matters, not least the victim in this case. For the avoidance of doubt, this was a savage beating and a serious example of an act of violence with real consequences for Miss Aitken. There must be a custodial sentence in respect of it.”
The sentence is backdated to March 27 when Macleod was arrested.
