A FORMER soldier who attacked his long-suffering wife with a chair after she forget to leave him a slice of PIZZA has been ordered to undergo anger management after admitting the offence in court.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard that Robert Jackson grabbed his wife Harriet by the throat but, as she put her hands up to defend herself, she accidentally hit his nose, causing it to bleed.

His terrified victim then fled to a bedroom but Jackson chased after her, picked up a chair and struck her on the head with it.

The blow left Mrs Jackson with an injury to her forehead which needed four stitches.

<!-- -->

When Jackson appeared shamefaced in the dock at court, he pleaded guilty to the serious assault charge.

The incident took place in the home the couple had shared in Glencairn Road, Gallowhill, Paisley, on July 8 last year.

Depute fiscal John Miller told the court that 31-year-old Jackson, now of Nethergreen Crescent, Renfrew, had been watching football at a friend’s house and became angry when he returned home to find that his wife and one of her friends had eaten a pizza without leaving any for him.

When he grabbed Mrs Jackson by the throat and she lashed out in self-defence, that “inflamed his temper” and he lost the plot.

After being assaulted with the chair, Mrs Jackson came to, lying on the floor, but then got up and ran off, screaming that she had been assaulted.

Mr Miller said that, in a statement provided, she described the episode as “the last straw” and revealed that she had walked out on Jackson on four previous occasions.

It was stated that the couple had been married for three years and had known each other for eight years but the relationship had been “heated”.

Background reports provided to the court revealed that Jackson, who had served with the Army in Ireland and Afghanistan, was desperately trying to salvage his marriage but he understood that many bridges had to be rebuilt.

Defence agent John McElroy said his client was “completely ashamed of his actions”.

He added that the episode arose at a time when things had become heated and tense and the accused allowed himself to lose control.

Sheriff Neil Douglas had deferred sentence, calling for background reports and a community service assessment to be prepared and ordering Jackson to return to court on a later date to learn his fate.

When Jackson appeared back in the dock, Sheriff Douglas placed him on probation for three years on the condition that he attended anger management counselling.

He also ordered the accused to carry out 200 hours of community service.

Sheriff Douglas sternly warned him: “If you fail to co-operate and are brought back before me, it is inevitable that you will go to prison.”