A HELENSBURGH man who assaulted his sister after the relationship between the pair turned “poisonous” has been spared a prison sentence.

Alexander Sanderson carried out the attack at his home address in East King Street on June 27 last year.

Sanderson appeared in court for sentencing on Friday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to charges of assault and threatening or abusive behaviour.

The 54-year-old had admitted shouting, swearing and acting in an aggressive manner towards his sister before grabbing her by the collar, causing her to fall on to a bed, and repeatedly striking her on the face to her injury.

He was originally charged with repeatedly seizing his sister by the neck, attempting to lift her off the ground by holding her neck, pushing her on to a bed, hitting her with a walking stick, spitting on her face and repeatedly striking her on the head with his hand, but his plea of guilty to an amended charge was accepted by prosecutors.

Sanderson's solicitor, Phil Lafferty, told Dumbarton Sheriff Court: “This matter has arisen through a poisonous relationship between the accused and his sister – one which, from his point of view, is not going to be mended in the immediate future.”

Mr Lafferty said it was a “pressure pot” situation which had been defused after Sanderson's sister decided to leave the property, where she also lived at the time of the incident.

“He is his mother's carer,” Mr Lafferty continued. “That's not a 'get out of jail' card, but it's clearly a factor to be weighed in the court's consideration of an appropriate disposal.

“I acknowledge this is a very unpleasant and serious matter which causes the court justifiable concern.”

Sheriff William Gallacher placed Sanderson on a community payback order with 12 months' social work supervision, and ordered him to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work in the community within 10 months.

Sheriff Gallacher told Sanderson: “This is a situation that should not have arisen. Whether your perspective is right or wrong, you cannot behave in this way.

“I'm concerned that you have appeared in court on a number of occasions recently.

“This is an alternative to sending you to prison. If you don't comply, that will be what happens.”