Inverness court hears man is "finished with drink" after admitting domestic assault

An Inverness man who used alcohol as a crutch to support him through lockdown assaulted his wife at their home.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told that Gordon Dowie (47) was “finished with alcohol” when he appeared to admit the charge of domestic assault, committed in the city’s Wade Road on July 11.

He pleaded guilty to pulling his wife from a sofa, striking her on the head with his hand and seizing her by the hair, all to her injury.

Sheriff Gary Aitken read a letter from Mrs Dowie before deferring sentence until October 15 for a background report.

He also changed Dowie’s bail conditions to allow him to return to the family home, but banned him from consuming alcohol.

Solicitor Marc Dickson said his client had lost three-and-a-half stone since the incident, had given up alcohol and had sought counselling.

Sheriff Aitken told Dowie: “I realise by the steps you have taken that you know this was an unacceptable incident. There appears to have been a number of matters you had to deal with at the time and you sought support from a bottle.”

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