A FATHER has been placed on a home curfew after he admitted assaulting his daughter’s former partner by striking him to the head.

Gordon McGovern assaulted Kieran Cooper by punching him to the head to his injury at an address in Haddington earlier this year.

McGovern, 49, from Dunbar, also shouted, swore and uttered threats towards Mr Cooper, while also acting in an aggressive manner during the confrontation.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that the violent incident arose due to an “element of provocation”, leading McGovern to lash out.

Sheriff Peter McCormack issued an alternative to a custodial sentence by ordering McGovern to wear an electronic tag and to stay within his home on Goldenstones Avenue between 2pm and midnight for the next 80 days.

The unusual hours of the order were due to McGovern working as a self-employed contractor between the hours of 2.30am and 10am.

Solicitor Angela Craig said that her client “enjoys his work” and since pleading guilty to the offence he had been “determined to keep out of trouble”.

McGovern pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Cooper by punching him to the head at an address in Haddington on February 17. He also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner during the same incident.