Officer guilty of wife assaults

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A Grampian Police officer was warned he could be jailed after being convicted of assaulting his wife.

Det Con Warren Wattie, 36, denied assaulting his wife Jacqueline on two occasions at their home in Dyce, Aberdeen.

However, Sheriff Alexander Jessop convicted Wattie after a three-day trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

The sheriff told him he was considering custody. Sentencing was deferred until next month for reports.

Wattie denied he was lying about what had happened in order to keep his job.

He told the third day of the trial that it was his wife who had been lying about what had happened.

It was claimed Wattie throttled his 35-year-old physiotherapist wife and pushed her to the floor during an argument in March this year.

I am not lying Det Con Warren Wattie He said Mrs Wattie had fallen back as he went to put his hands on her shoulders to try and stop her leaving their home.

He also said that in April last year he may have caught his wife on the head as she went down the stairs, but had not assaulted her.

Wattie was asked if it was his position that his wife had "effectively conspired" with her family to make up a series of events which could result in him losing his job, even though it may have financial implications for them.

"Yes," he replied.

'Strangle me'

Fiscal depute John Macpherson then put it to him: "Or alternatively you are lying to keep your job."

"I am not lying," he replied.

Wattie also denied that he had lost control during both alleged incidents, which had resulted in him assaulting his wife.

Mrs Wattie's mother, Maureen Buchan, previously told the court that after the incident in April, Wattie had "apologised profusely" and promised he would never lay a finger on her daughter again.

However, she said that in March this year her daughter and two grandchildren arrived at her home one night extremely upset.

'Stop it'

"Jacqueline was really upset and said 'he tried to strangle me'," said Mrs Buchan.

One of the Watties' daughters said she had told her father to "stop it" during one attack on her mother.

Mrs Wattie was assaulted by her police officer husband because there was nothing to eat, the first day of the trial had heard earlier this month.

She said she feared she was going to end up in intensive care as her husband put his hands around her throat.

Mrs Wattie said that on 25 March this year her husband punched her on the arm and at one point was "jumping up and down on the spot with rage".

Mrs Wattie also alleged that on an earlier occasion Wattie jabbed a chair at her "like he was a lion tamer".