'Immature' Banknock bully bit wife on shoulder

A drunken husband pinned his wife to a couch then followed her into the kitchen and took a bite out of her shoulder after she contacted police.
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The frightened woman tried her best to distance herself from the attentions of her drunken husband, but he sprang onto her as she sat on a couch and pinned her there by her shoulders.

Terrified by this attack, she ran to the kitchen but he followed her and bit her on the shoulder.

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Brian Batchelor (60) appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday having pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife at his home 23 Bankier Road, Banknock on July 12 last year.

Batchelor appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to assaulting his wifeBatchelor appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to assaulting his wife
Batchelor appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to assaulting his wife

Michael Maguire, procurator fiscal depute, said: “It was 9.15pm and the complainer was in the living room sitting next to the accused. Words were exchanged and the complainer contacted police in the hope it would calm the accused down.

"The accused then pinned the complainer to the couch by her shoulders for a short period of time, while shouting in her face. She then walked through to the kitchen and the accused followed her.

"He bit her to the rear of her shoulder for a few seconds before letting her go and then he began pacing up and down in the living room in an aggressive manner. He was in the front garden when police arrived and was then taken to Falkirk Police Station.

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"Officers describe seeing a bite mark between the complainer’s left shoulder and the bottom of her neck. She did not require medical treatment.”

Defence solicitor John Mulholland said: “He is exactly the type of person who should be forced to go on the Caledonian domestic abuse programme.”

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Introduced back in 2004, the Caledonian programme is an integrated approach employed by the courts and social work to address domestic abuse by men towards a female partner or ex-partner.

It works with men convicted of domestic abuse related offences to reduce their re-offending and aims to improve the lives of women, children and the men themselves.

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Earlier in the year Sheriff Christopher Shead placed Batchelor on a supervised community payback order for three years with the condition he engage with the Caledonian domestic abuse programme and complete 150 hours unpaid work within 12 months.

Speaking on Thursday, Sheriff Shead was concerned by Batchelor’s attitude and lack of engagement with his community payback order.

He said: “Sometimes the court needs to put people in prison when they conduct themselves the way Mr Batchelor has.”

Mr Mulholland said Batchelor had an “inability” to express himself properly.

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Addressing Batchelor directly, Sheriff Shead said: “This is one of the most immature reactions I can remember reading in a report for a long time. It doesn’t surprise me, domestic offenders tend to be immature.”

Sheriff Shead allowed Batchelor’s community payback order to continue, but varied it by adding 75 more hours of unpaid work to the existing hours.

He said: “You will go to prison if you don’t cooperate – you have wasted enough time and taken up enough public resources.”