A former soldier who viciously attacked his wife of 11 years blamed the army’s macho drinking culture for the offence.
Kristopher Cruden told Perth Sheriff Court he had struggled with alcohol since being discharged from the armed forces six years ago.
After a drink-fuelled breach of the peace in 2007 and an offence of drink-driving in 2008, matters became more serious on the evening of July 22.
The accused spent an afternoon drinking with friends before returning to the marital home in Scone, where he turned on Lynne Cruden after a brief argument.
As children looked on Cruden pursued his wife into a bedroom and grabbed her by the hair before pushing her down on to a bed and tearing her clothing.
Her cries for someone to dial 999 went unheeded as the other occupants of the house had become paralysed by fright, the court was told.
She managed to make a panicked call to Tayside Police on her mobile phone, with officers soon arriving at the house to apprehend her husband.
He appeared in the dock at Perth on Wednesday before Sheriff Lindsay Foulis, who considered a report prepared by social workers that he said offered an insight into the accused’s problems with alcohol.
Sheriff Foulis said: ”It is clear from the report that while in the army consumption of alcohol was a part of the macho culture.
”That relationship appears to have continued following your discharge since which time all your problems appear to have arisen as a result of alcohol.
”It is clear that you were frustrated by that discharge and I can understand that your self-esteem was hurt.”
He added: ”In 2007, however, you were convicted of a breach of the peace and you also have a drink-driving offence in 2008 for which you were disqualified for 18 months. That suggests a high reading.”
Continued…
”You do not need to be too perceptive to realise that alcohol is at the heart of the problem here.”
Solicitor Erica Watson accepted the sheriff’s comments and said her client would benefit from alcohol counselling.
She said: ”He had consumed quite a bit of alcohol on the day of the offence. Thankfully Mrs Cruden did not suffer any physical injury as a result.
”There has been no previous history of domestic violence and the couple have been married for the past 11 years, and together for 13 years.”
She added: ”At times however, the relationship has been quite difficult. That has been true ever since his discharge from the army six years ago.
”There have been no further incidents and they continue to live together, but he doesn’t know whether the relationship will survive.”
Ms Watson said of the offence: ”When he returned home under the influence they began arguing and he simply took things too far. The tearing of clothing was not intentional. It simply took place while they were grappling on the bed.”
Ms Watson added that her client had abstained from alcohol since the attack.
Cruden, of Abbey Road, admitted assaulted Mrs Cruden by pulling her hair, pushing her on to a bed, grabbing her clothing and ripping her bra at the family home on July 22.
Sentencing the accused, Sheriff Foulis said: ”This must have been an extremely frightening experience as far as your wife was concerned. You pushed her down and while you might not have meant to rip her clothing and underwear that is what happened.
”She would certainly not have known what you were intending.”
He added: ”Others within the house were so frightened that they could not call the police and that gives an indication of the seriousness of what was going on here.”
Sheriff Foulis made Cruden subject to a community payback order and told him to participate in the Change Programme.
He said the programme would address the issues behind the offence, including his problems with alcohol.