A MAN who terrorised his partner into fleeing her home has avoided a jail sentence.

Dennis Dobson, 27, previously pleaded guilty to seizing the woman by the neck, pinning her by the neck to the bed, and kicking her on the body to her injury. The crime was aggravated by being against a partner.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard last week how Dobson, of Ashton View, Dumbarton, and the woman were home around 11.10pm on June 26 this year in Glen Avenue, Alexandria, when a neighbour heard items being smashed and a scream.

Dobson grabbed the woman by her neck with his left hand and pinned her to the bed before kicking her to the left thigh.

She managed to get free and ran to the top of the stairs where he again kicked her to the top of the leg.

The woman “fled to a neighbour in fear for her own safety,” said fiscal depute Rebecca Reid.

“Police were contacted and after a short time the accused attended at the neighbour’s door banging on the same.

“The neighbour asked him to leave. The accused replied, ‘I know she’s in there and you ask her to come out’.

“The neighbour replied ‘no’ and said she had contacted police.”

Officers arrested Dobson just before midnight.

Defence solicitor Jonathan Paul said his client would “have to refrain from alcohol” and there was still an alternative to jailing Dobson.

Sheriff David Hall said: “This was a nasty assault on someone you’re supposed to care about.”

“With hesitation”, the sheriff imposed a community payback order with social work supervision for two years. He must particularly work with them on mental health and addiction issues.

He told Dobson: “If there is a repetition of this, it’s likely you will be sent to custody.”

The sheriff did not impose a non-harassment order after the Crown said the woman intended for the relationship to continue.

A review of Dobson’s progress will be held on March 1, 2022.