Man left wife bleeding on floor and ‘extremely distressed’ 

A 33-year-old man left his wife bleeding on the floor after accusing her of cheating, a court heard.

Scott Anderson admitted assaulting his wife when he appeared before Lerwick Sheriff Court today (Monday).

He also admitted preventing officers from entering the living room of their Lerwick home, where the attack happened on 15th November last year. 

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said the accused and complainer had recently wed and moved into the address just days before the assault.

He said Anderson had previously been made subject to bail conditions requiring him to abstain from alcohol following another incident involving his wife.

On the evening of the attack, however, the complainer returned home from work at around 10pm and found Anderson drinking vodka, in breach of the conditions.

Mr MacKenzie said it was not long before he started accusing her of infidelity.

“That seemed to be a pattern of his offending towards her,” the fiscal said.

The court heard Anderson’s voice was so loud as to alert a next door neighbour.

At first, the neighbour went back to sleep, but she was awoken around an hour later by the wife’s screaming from next door,

Mr MacKenzie said Anderson had repeated his allegations of infidelity before grabbing her roughly by the housecoat she was wearing.

The woman fell to the ground where Mr MacKenzie said the accused grabbed her tightly by the throat so that she felt she was chocking.

Struggling to free herself, the complainer was shouting and screaming “get off me”, while Anderson punched her face, the court heard.

The upstairs neighbour dialed 999, with the police arriving almost immediately.

Finding the front door unlocked, officers entered and could hear noise coming from the living room.

But when they tried to enter the room, the fiscal said Anderson blocked them by bracing himself against the door.

One officer went round the back and found another way in via the kitchen.

They found the complainer “extremely distressed” and bleeding from her injuries, the court heard.

Anderson was arrested and taken to the police station, where he refused to give a breath test, contrary to the requirements of his bail conditions.

Mr MacKenzie showed photographs of the complainer’s injuries to the sheriff.

“They were taken fairly shortly after the incident and I think the complainer’s distress is still quite apparent,” he added.

Defence agent Tommy Allan asked for the hearing to be adjourned for the preparation of criminal justice social work reports.

He noted his client had been in custody since November last year.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank adjourned the hearing until 1st November, when Anderson will be sentenced and a non-harassment order will be considered.

A separate deferred sentence hearing and community payback order review will also be heard on that date.