Sheriff tells attacker: ‘Do something nice for wife’

A MAN who beat up his wife of 25 years in a drunken rage has been ordered by a sheriff to “do something nice” for her.

Peter Taylor, 45, grabbed his partner Yvonne by the throat, pushed her head back and slapped her repeatedly on the face during an argument.

In Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Martin Edington said: “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 on to 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 her 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 did not need medical treatment.

Taylor appeared for sentence after earlier pleading 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 there’s something domestically aggravated such as an assault on your wife you’re going to be in very serious trouble indeed.”

Outside court, Taylor refused to comment.