News / Remanded after admitting assault and breach of bail
A PROBLEM drinker who assaulted his former wife before breaching a court order by repeatedly approaching her has been remanded in custody.
Darren Robertson, 48, of Clingra Park, Camb, Mid Yell, admitted assaulting the woman by grabbing her by the throat, pushing her and presenting a knife at her at another Yell address on 15 May this year.
After being granted bail at an initial hearing on that matter on the condition that he make no contact with the woman, he approached her at a Mid Yell address and at Cooke Aquaculture’s fish factory, where they are both employed, on 19 and 24 May.
Having been bailed again on 25 May he again approached her at the factory between 1 and 21 June.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said Robertson and the complainer had been married for 21 years and had a son together before separating in late 2014.
He attended her home to return the child’s bike on 15 May. He was drunk and tried to hug the woman, but she refused.
Robertson responded by being verbally aggressive to her, grabbing her by the throat and picking up a knife from a block in the kitchen and pointing it at her.
When she asked him to leave, he put the knife back in the block, pushed her into the corner of the room and left.
Mackenzie said that, while they work in the same factory, he had no need to approach her in the workplace and it was a “downright refusal” to comply with a court order.
The alcohol problem, which he refuses to address, has caused “a great deal of misery” to the woman – who continues to look after Robertson’s mother – and she is “concerned about what the future holds” if he continues drinking.
Defence agent Tommy Allan stressed that the woman did not want Robertson to be imprisoned.
While not wanting to play down the significance of the knife, Allan said he had in fact mimicked drawing the blade across his own throat rather than threatening her with it.
Sheriff Philip Mann refused bail and remanded Robertson in custody until 3 August for a criminal justice social enquiry report to be prepared.
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