by Craig Borland

AN OLD Kilpatrick man and his partner spat in each other’s faces in a row outside a pub – but only he was charged.

David Gordon assaulted the woman at the Stag’s Head in Glasgow Road, Dumbarton, on January 24.

The 51-year-old was already serving a community-based sentence for an unrelated offence when the incident happened, but despite that, he was spared any further punishment – for now.

Fiscal depute Joanne Gilmour told Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Thursday: “The accused and the complainer had been in a relationship since June 2016.

“They had gone to the locus and an argument took place between them which resulted in the accused spitting in the complainer’s face. He then walked away.

"It was noted that the complainer followed the accused, and she then spat in his face in retaliation.”

Gordon’s partner contacted police, who attended his Thistleneuk home later that evening and took him to Clydebank police station where he denied the offence.

Sheriff Simon Pender asked why the complainer had not been prosecuted for her actions, but Ms Gilmour said she was unable to comment on the decision made by the Crown.

Gordon’s solicitor, Brian McGuire, told the court his client had had “considerable difficulty with alcohol for some time”.

Mr McGuire said Gordon’s social worker had decided the long-standing alcohol problem should be dealt with by his attending the Turnaround rehabilitation service, and that while Gordon remained in residential rehab at present, he was due to be released on April 24.

Asked by Sheriff Pender about the status of Gordon’s relationship with the woman involved in the pub incident, Mr McGuire said Gordon did not view it as ongoing.

Mr McGuire asked the sheriff to consider deferring sentence for three months to monitor Gordon’s progress on his CPO and to see how he dealt with his alcohol problem on his return to the community.

Sheriff Pender agreed, but noted Gordon’s extensive criminal record. Sentence was deferred until July 28.