A north man has been found guilty of attacking a former partner.
John Lamont, 50, went to trial at Wick Sheriff Court on six charges of assault against two women.
But yesterday, the 50-year-old was cleared of all but one of accusations relating to former girlfriends, Wendy McLeod and Vera Graham.
The jury at Wick Sheriff Court took eight hours to come to their decisions. They found five of the historic charges not proven, by a majority and the sixth, guilty by a majority.
That incident involved him assaulting Ms Graham at his home in Rose Street, Thurso, on August 2 or 3, 2011.
It happened after Ms Graham turned up in high heels and opened her trench coat to reveal white lingerie, in a bid to “lighten his mood” after they had differed over holiday money.
But her behaviour had the opposite effect to the one she had hoped for. Lamont, who had already ended the relationship, shouted at her, repeatedly punched her, pushed her out of the front door causing her to fall down a short flight of steps and strike her head on the ground, all to her injury.
After the six days trial, Lamont accused Ms McLeod and Ms Graham of collaborating to make false claims in a bid to get him into trouble because he had “broken their hearts”.
Lamont was accompanied by his partner, Audrey Budge – the accused was said during the trial to be in “a stable, loving relationship” with her – when he left the court.
Lamont had pleaded not guilty on indictment to all six charges.
Four of the five not proven verdicts accused Lamont of assaults on Wendy McLeod, punching her pushing her head through plasterboard and pushing her head under water in the bathroom of his then home in Leitch Court, Thurso, and striking her with an ironing board at his present home in the town’s Rose Street. The fifth not proven charge accused him of a second assault on Vera Graham by seizing her by the throat, at the same address. All the allegations covered a period from April 1, 2008 to June, 2011.
Sheriff Andrew Berry called for a background report before he sentences Lamont on August 3.
