An abattoir worker punched his girlfriend in the face during a get-together at their new Blairgowrie home.
Costel Grosu got drunk and lashed out at his partner, leaving her with a bruised and swollen face.
His terrified victim called a friend and told her: “He hit me. He hit me.”
Grosu, 29, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted the domestically-aggravated assault on June 25, this year.
It happened a short time after the couple had moved into a flat in Reform Street.
Ranted in Romanian
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson told the court: “The accused and the complainer were in a relationship for about six months but they had only moved in together three weeks prior to the incident.”
“The complainer said that the relationship was generally very good but added that difficulties arose when the accused took alcohol.”
She said: “At around 8.30pm, both the accused and the complainer were with two other witnesses at their property.
“All of them were drinking.
“As the evening progressed, the accused became aggressive.”
The court heard the other two witnesses left the property after Grosu began ranting in Romanian.
Ms Hodgson said: “At around 12.30am, the accused’s behaviour escalated further.
“He then punched the complainer to the face.
“During this attack, the complainer contacted one of the witnesses who was in the flat earlier and told her: ‘He hit me, he hit me.’
“The friend contacted police.”
Officers rushed to the flat and saw the woman with visible injuries.
Ms Hodgson said: “She had bruising and swelling on the left side of her face but she declined to have medical treatment.”
Police also heard her say: “He hit me.”
Little memory of assault
Solictor Mike Tavendale said: “It’s fair to say Mr Grosu has very little recollection of this matter.
“There didn’t seem to be any great issue with his behaviour beforehand.
“The reason the other people left was because he started talking loudly in Romania and they – being Polish – could not understand him.”
The court heard Grosu – who works at the 2 Sisters chicken factory – is no longer at the address and has moved in with friends in a flat in Coupar Angus High Street.
The victim later told prosecutors she did not want a non-harassment order put in place to protect her from her ex.
“She said the relationship was over and that was the end of the matter as far as she was concerned,” said Ms Hodgson.
However, Sheriff Gillian Wade issued a six month order “for her protection” and fined Grosu £540.
