'Wife beater' jailed for eight months after Dingwall drinking session culminated in early hours assault
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A 55-year-old man who attacked his wife following a day's drinking in Dingwall has been jailed for eight months.
Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald was told that Colin Ritchie, of Portland Street, Troon had a record of domestic offences against the same woman, but she was not in favour of a non-harassment order.
Ritchie appeared from custody and admitted assaulting the woman to her injury in Castle Street, Dingwall in the early hours of May 7 this year.
The court heard that the couple had been working on Skye and had come to Dingwall to stay in a local hotel.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke went on: "They had been drinking for most of the day and ended up in the snooker club. About 1am, she left the bar and was walking towards their hotel.
"Ritchie then punched her on the face giving her a bloody nose. She phoned the police."
The prosecutor said that the woman did not give a clear answer about the relationship's future but was against an order being imposed.
Defence solicitor Graham Mann told the Sheriff: "His previous domestic convictions involve the same woman and he has been through the domestic abuse programme for men, Alcohol is very much the problem here and this is his first relapse.
"She was working in the Highlands on Skye and he had a job as a night porter. He doesn't remember anything about this but accepts it happened.
They are living separately and dealing with the alcohol issue is very much the first step."
Jailing Ritchie, the Sheriff told him: "You are a wife beater. The abuse programme didn't work. You do this time and time again yet she is prepared to forgive you _ again!
"There is no alternative to a custodial sentence here. I won't impose a non-harassment order because your wife doesn't want it. But she needs some protection from you."
