A MORAY MAN was spared a jail sentence when he appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court this week for what was described as an ‘unforgivable’ assault on his ex-partner’s boyfriend.
Mathew Anderson admitted conducting a brutal assault on Gary Jenkins with a metal bar, leaving his victim permanently scarred.
Anderson later sent a barrage of text messages and emails to his former partner – ignoring her plea that he stop doing so.
The court was told that Anderson, of Tocher Terrace, Drummuir, carried out his attack on Mr Jenkins at a farm near Garmouth on May 11 this year when he went to fetch a toy for his daughter.
The former computer security expert who is now employed as a Chef became “instantly aggressive” towards his former partner, challenging her over why Mr Jenkins was in the house.
Anderson also admitted a second charge of drink-driving – police had intercepted a call he made to his former partner 13 hours after the initial incident, he was subsequently intercepted on his way to his former partner’s house and found to be five times over the legal limit.
Sheriff David Hall said that the case had “posed me difficulty when deciding the appropriate sentence”. However, he told Anderson that he felt “just able to offer you an alternative to a custodial sentence”.
Anderson was ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay Mr Jenkins £1000 in compensation. He was told that he was also under a ‘restriction of liberty’ requirement that meant he could not leave his home address between 7pm and 7am for six months.
On the drink drive charge, Anderson received a £500 fine and was banned from the roads for three years.