Bo'ness man spared jail after assaulting new girlfriend and threatening to bury her

Paterson appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court

A man who attacked his new girlfriend after only days together – battering her with a glass jar, compressing her throat, and punching her repeatedly on the head and body – was spared jail on Monday.

Alan Paterson, 35, told his terrified victim to shut up or "I'll put you six feet under where no-one will find you."

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that the incident happened in April last year after the pair been watching a film together at a house in Avonbridge.

Prosecutor Katie Cunningham said that Paterson's victim had been in a relationship with the him for only around one week at the time.

Miss Cunningham said: "During the film she received a text from her ex-partner asking how she was. When the film ended Paterson accused her of cheating on him.

"She tried to explain that her ex was just a friend, and walked away from Paterson. He grabbed hold of her hair, which was in a bun, and pulled her back, causing her to fall onto the floor.

"He straddled her and began punching her face and head. She began to scream for help and he put his hand over her nose and mouth, then moved his hands to her neck and grabbed her by the throat tightly."

Paterson "laughed" as his victim tried to break free, and then attacked her again, making the threat to bury her.

Miss Cunningham said: "At this point, she thought he was going to kill her."

At one point when she was on the ground he struck her left hand, which was on the floor, with the glass jar, and kicked her.

Police were called in after her mother saw her injuries, which included multiple bruising, a mark on her neck, plus apparent "muscular strain" on her neck, and she went to hospital.

Paterson, of Bo'ness, appeared for sentence on Monday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to assault causing injury.

An allegation that he endangered his victim’s life was dropped by the prosecution.

Solicitor Lynn Swan, defending, said: "He is finding it hard to get over the guilt he feels over this.

"He accepts it is very serious, but there is a bit more maturity about him now.

"His excessive alcohol use certainly played a part."

Sheriff Keith O'Mahony said that by "the narrowest of margins" he was prepared not to send Paterson to jail.

He sentenced him to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work, imposed an 18-week 7am to 7pm curfew during which Paterson will be electronically tagged, and placed him under social work supervision for two years. He also made a order requiring Paterson to stay away from the victim for two years.