A court has heard how an Angus domestic abuser responded to a slap from his partner by punching the woman in the face and telling her: “How did you like it?”
James Priestly had woken his girlfriend with an early morning rant in the garden of her Montrose home last month.
The row sparked up again a couple of hours later and the 43-year-old has now been warned by a sheriff he is being given one chance to prove the offence was an unfortunate blip in their fledgling relationship.
Priestly, of Brownlow Place, Montrose, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court where he admitted behaving in a threatening manner at a house in Montrose on June 1 this year, making offensive remarks to his partner and placing her in a state of fear and alarm by acting aggressively towards her.
He also pled guilty to assaulting the woman by punching her on the head to her injury.
Depute fiscal Laura McGillvery told the court: “Around 7.50am the complainer woke to the sound of the accused shouting and swearing in her garden.”
In his barrage, Priestly said: “What have you done to my car and why have you made me four-and-a-half hours late for my work?”
The woman attempted to get him to calm down and come into the house, but he shouted further abuse, left and returned around 9.40.
The fiscal added: “He told her to her face in an intimidating manner ‘We’re over’.
“The complainer slapped the accused and he then punched her in the face,” added Ms McGillvery.
The accused then told the victim: “How did you like it? Do you think it’s okay for you to slap me if I can’t punch you?”
Police attended and, when cautioned with the assault, Priestly responded: “Yes, I did that, no problem, good to go.”
Defence solicitor Brian Bell said the couple were planning to rekindle their relationship, but had to advise his client to remain quiet in the dock after Priestly challenged the Crown narrative of the offence.
Sheriff Gregor Murray told the accused: “Because this took place just over a month ago I am going to defer sentence for three months.
“I will vary the bail order so you can see this lady in the intervening period, but if there is anything else within that time you know where you are going.”
Priestly will return to court on October 3.
