Father of 12 attacked wife after he was left alone with kids for a day
Brute blames childcare frustration for outburst
A DAD of 12 attacked his wife after he got frustrated at being left alone to look after all of his children for one day.
Stephen Petrie lashed out at wife Jennifer and blamed the pressure of being in sole charge of the dozen children for his breakdown.
The 55-year-old told Perth Sheriff Court the childcare burden and financial pressures had led to him to attacking his wife of 17 years.
Fiscal depute Tina Dickie told the court that the couple had been together for five years before getting married and having 12 children.
She said: “On January 12, the accused left the house.
“He told his wife he was going to stay in Blairgowrie and that they would be separating.”
Two days later he returned and, when Jennifer came downstairs to speak to him, he launched a barrage of verbal abuse at her.
Mrs Dickie said: “He immediately started shouting at her and was telling her that he was entitled to live in the family home. She described the accused as angry and mad and said there was no reasoning with him. A commotion happened and he seized hold of her.
“She landed on the floor and then he slapped her to the face. She tried to calm him down and he eventually sat down on the sofa.”
When later arrested and interviewed by cops, Petrie told them: “This is a miscarriage of justice.”
Petre’s lawyer Kevin Lancaster said: “This is perhaps an unusual situation, given the length of the relationship and no difficulties of this kind before.
“There had been ongoing family difficulties for some time. The situation became more acute with the financial pressures on the family.
“She was working long hours and that left him in sole charge of the home and he had all of the children with him. He has never laid hands on his wife before.” Mr Lancaster said Petrie agreed to leave the family home before the incident but was turned down for housing by the local authority.
He said: “He returned to the house and that is when this occurred.
“He thinks it was a combination of depression and anxiety. The relationship at present is over.”
Petrie, of, Burrelton, Perthshire, admitted assaulting his estranged wife by seizing her body, causing her to land on the ground, and slapping her on the head on January 14.
He also admitted breaking bail conditions by sending her Valentine’s Day cards and a toy monkey on February 12 last year when he was banned from contacting her.
Sheriff Neil Bowie said: “He doesn’t seem to recognise he has done much wrong. He fully denies the offence.”
He admonished Petrie for the bail breach and ordered him to pay £500 compensation.