Edinburgh and East Feed

Sheriff orders man who beat wife to 'do something nice' for her

A sheriff has told Peter Taylor to make amends with his wife in the next six months or he will be 'in very serious trouble'.

27 January 2012 15:46 GMT

295338

Sheriff orders man who beat wife to 'do something nice' for her

Court: Taylor will be back for sentence in six months. Pic: © STV

A man who beat up his wife has been ordered by a sheriff to "do something nice" for her.

Peter Taylor, 45, was encouraged to make up with his wife Yvonne after assaulting her while he was drunk.

Livingston Sheriff Court was told that he grabbed her by the throat, pushed her head back and slapped her repeatedly on the face during an argument.

On Friday, Sheriff Martin Edington told Taylor: "This was a very unpleasant offence. I don't think it needs me to tell you your wife must have been very frightened indeed.

"I hope you do reconcile successfully with your wife and if you do, I hope to hear in six months that you've done something nice for her.

"That something nice may be as simple as coming back and saying you've not had a single alcoholic drink in that time. I want you to think about it carefully. If you don't reconcile I'll award your wife some form of compensation."

Lisa McCloy, prosecuting, said the attack happened in the couple's home in Bathgate, West Lothian at 2.30pm on January 3 after the accused had been drinking for most of the morning.

Mrs Taylor screamed at her husband to let her go when he pushed her back onto a sofa and pinned her by the neck.

It was only when he took a step backwards after he slapped her across the face three or four times that she was able to get up. She ran out of the back door in tears holding the left side of her face.

She was so distressed that a neighbour who saw her escaping had to wait for her to calm down before she was able to tell what had happened.

Ms McCloy said: "She was asked what was wrong but she was unable to speak because she was crying so heavily."

The fiscal said Mrs Taylor suffered a cut inside her lip, a sore jaw and a small bump on her head but didn't need medical treatment.

Taylor appeared for sentence on Friday after he previously pled guilty to assaulting his wife to her injury.

Alan Jackson, defending, said Taylor had been drunk at the time and was "appalled" when he learned the details of what he had done.

Sentence was deferred for six months for good behaviour.

The sheriff warned Taylor: "If here's something domestically aggravated such as an assault on your wife you're going to be in very serious trouble indeed."