Argument led to woman being seized by neck

Instead the 27-year-old bully will be tagged and expected to follow an 8pm to 8am curfew in his home for the next three months after admitting assault.

At Falkirk Sheriff Court on May 12, Neilson was warned that without the restriction of liberty order being imposed he would have been going to prison for the attack on the woman at a house in Douglas Avenue, Brightons, on November 11 last year.

The court was told the pair got into a row after she found text messages on his phone.

At one stage during the argument Neilson tried to take her car keys and, when she tried to stop him, he seized her by the neck, struck her on the head and pushed her to the ground.

Neilson had admitted the assault charge at a previous court and had sentence deferred for social workers to complete background reports on him.

Defence lawyer Andy Bryson said: “It was at the end of a relationship that was not going well.

“The argument became physical and that is something he regrets very much.”

Sheriff Derek Livingstone told Neilson, from 25 Shiphaugh place, Stirling: “This is your second conviction for assault and a serious one because it involved holding someone by the throat.

“Without a liberty restriction order being imposed you would be going to jail.”

The sheriff said the three month order was a direct alternative to custody.

He also placed Neilson on a supervised community payback order and told him to complete 100 hours of unpaid work within six months.

At the same court, Ross Adams, 178 Braes View, Denny, was fined £700 after admitting assaulting a woman and behaving in a threatening manner towards her in a house at Little Denny Road, Denny, on June 10 last year.

The court was told that before the incident Adams (29) had been drinking and had “difficulty” recalling exactly what had happened.

Sheriff Livingstone was told Adams is now seeking help for his alcohol problems, has a steady job and able to pay the fines at £40 a week.