A WHITECRAIG man who was spotted attempting to push a woman into a vehicle against her will has appeared in court.

Paul Breslin was seen by a passing dog walker as he become involved in an incident with the woman in Wallyford in 2018.

Breslin was with another male as he tried to “force” the woman into the front seat of the car at the village’s Wallace Gardens.

A struggle between all three ensued and the woman was forced to scream out as Breslin attempted to get her into the vehicle.

A second witness also saw the commotion at about 9am on a Sunday and, as she was “concerned for the female”, she walked over to intervene.

The woman who was being manhandled managed to make her way from the vehicle and two men subsequently got into the car and drove off.

Police were contacted the following day and Breslin, of Carberry Court, was traced and arrested.

The 48-year-old appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, where he pleaded guilty to a heavily-amended charge.

Solicitor Jonathan Campbell said that his client had been in an on-off relationship with the woman and that she had called him in the early hours of the morning looking for a lift home from a party she was attending.

The lawyer said there had been “incidents of infidelity” between the pair and when Breslin arrived at the party he found she had changed her mind and decided to stay at the property.

The woman then called Breslin a second time two hours later and, after he had gone to pick her up, she again “changed her mind” and attempted to open the car door as the vehicle was moving.

As Breslin was struggling with her in a bid to get her back into the car at Wallace Avenue, that is when the witnesses arrived on the scene and saw the confrontation between the pair, the lawyer said.

Mr Campbell said there had been “no abduction” of the woman as originally libelled and Breslin had been concerned for the woman’s safety as she was under the influence of alcohol and in her bare feet.

Sheriff Thomas Welsh deferred sentence to next month for background reports.

Breslin admitted struggling with the woman, shouting, swearing and acting in an aggressive manner, and attempting to push her into a vehicle and committing a breach of the peace at Wallace Avenue, Wallyford, on October 21, 2018.