A VIOLENT drunk who assaulted his partner of more than a decade after a night out told police officers who turned up to arrest him that he had just had 'a wee fight with the missus'.

Graeme McNeil tried to downplay the attack last summer having grabbed his victim by the hair, choked her, pushed her against a wall and repeatedly kicked her on the body.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard that McNeil, 51, confronted the woman at a property in Greenock on July 30 last year.

He entered the home in the early hours of the morning under the influence and the complainer was 'concerned by how intoxicated he was', a prosecutor told the court.

The fiscal depute added: "They both sat on opposite couches and she simply hoped he would go to sleep.

"However, he became verbally abusive towards her.

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"She ignored him, however, in response to that he became irate.

"He lunged from the couch towards the complainer and grabbed her by the hair then dragged her down into a folded forward position."

The court was told that neighbours could hear the sounds of a disturbance and the woman was heard shouting to McNeil to let her go.

The complainer, who was 'very upset and crying', told McNeil that if he did not leave she would call her family.

The fiscal depute said: "At this stage the accused grabbed her by the throat, pushed her up against the kitchen wall then pulled her to the floor by the hair.

"The complainer again demanded that he leave the property. He simply refused.

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"In response to her demand he lashed out with his feet in a stamping motion and kicked her twice to the chest."

The woman eventually managed to open the front door and after throwing a baseball bat out of the property, which McNeil collected, she closed the door and locked it.

Police were called and arrived shortly after 3am to find McNeil 'pacing within the garden area'.

Police asked him to state his name and he said: "There's been a wee fight with the missus."

He was cautioned and replied: "It was just a wee domestic between me and my missus. I'm going."

Defence solicitor Paul Cook said that his client, a first offender, was 'ashamed of himself'.

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Mr Cook added: "His mental health has deteriorated significantly since the offence.

"Alcohol has been a problem in his life and he is engaging with counselling services.

"His memory of matters was somewhat clouded.

"He told her a woman at one of the bars he had been at bought him a shot of tequila and he struggled from there.

"He had been in a relationship for 12 years and had never been violent previously.

"He is ashamed of himself for his actions, as he should be."

Sheriff Anthony McGeehan said: "Mr Cook described you as being ashamed of your behaviour and you should be.

"The behaviour is worthy of shame and the court takes a very serious view of domestic violence."

McNeil, now of Staffa Street in Gourock, was sentenced to a community payback order as a direct alternative to custody.

He will be under supervision for a year and must complete 225 hours of unpaid work, while a 12-month non-harassment order was also imposed, banning him from contacting the woman, attending her home or her place of work.