News / Husband admits seriously assaulting wife
SENTENCE on a 57-year man from the island of Yell has been deferred until 6 July after he admitted to two charges of seriously assaulting his wife at the couple’s home.
Appearing at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Monday, Karl Maguire, of Reafirth House, Mid Yell, pled guilty to assaulting his wife by throwing bottles at her, and presenting a knife, or a similar instrument, at her whilst threatening to kill her, on 31 December 2011.
Maguire also admitted assaulting her by grabbing her head and striking her head against a wall, sometime between 1 January and 31 March 2014.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told the court that both cases had only come to light recently.
Both assaults took place in the presence of the couple’s daughter who was only 14 at the time of the first assault.
The fiscal added that alcohol had been involved in the first case, and said that arguments seem to be “a fairly routine event in that households”.
The court heard that the couple was still together.
Maguire had already been through an anger management course and was about to see a psychiatrist in an attempt to seek help.
Defence solicitor Tommy Allan said that in addition his client had also to deal with a number of health issues.
Sheriff Philip Mann told Maguire that these were “serious charges”, despite the fact that he was still together with his wife and that they had been committed some time ago.
He deferred sentence for social background reports to be prepared.
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