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Dispute after night out in Inverness leads to fine for bridge club chairman





The Inverness Justice Centre.
The Inverness Justice Centre.

A bridge night out created troubled waters between a music teacher and her third husband when she accused him of having an affair.

The row between 53-year-old handyman/joiner Allan Downie, of Muir of Ord, and his now-estranged spouse Irene Fraser (52), of Balblair, culminated in him grabbing her by the throat at the home they shared on December 21, 2015.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told that it did not come to police attention until five years later amid an acrimonious divorce which has still to be settled.

Downie, who is chairman of the Ness Bridge Club which operates out of Inverness Golf Club, had denied assaulting Ms Fraser and behaving in a threatening manner towards her liable to cause her fear and alarm.

After hearing from his estranged wife and her 23-year-old daughter Anne-Marie, Sheriff Sara Matheson found him guilty on both charges and fined him £640. An 18-month non-harassment order preventing him having contact with his wife was also imposed.

The court heard that Ms Fraser, who said she preferred not to be known as Mrs Downie, had picked up Downie and a female friend and bridge partner from the Raigmore Hotel after a Christmas night out at the golf club.

She said: "They were very intoxicated and carrying on like teenagers. They were all over each other. It was obvious there was a connection between them."

Ms Fraser alleged that the woman had asked her: "How long do you think you are going to be married for?"

The woman was dropped off at her home and it was claimed that Downie escorted her to her house, but it was 10 or 15 minutes before he returned.

He denied the time scale and explained the pair were "good friends, nothing more than that. We were laughing and joking because it was a good night. My wife is very insecure." He said he did not hear the question.

But Ms Fraser said there was a discussion about why he was in the house for so long and why she was not at the social evening.

"I dropped the subject but when we got home and went into the porch, I raised it again," she said. "He pushed me against the wall and grabbed me by the throat. I was very scared and shocked."

Her daughter gave a similar account but Downie claimed he had merely used an arm to create space between him and his wife as she would not let him past her. He admitted he had sworn at her to police, the court heard.


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