A COUNTY man assaulted his partner before pulling a knife on a man she was arguing with at a house party in Edinburgh.

Dillon Hughes swept the legs from his partner as she rowed with the man at the property in the Gilmerton area of the city earlier this year.

The woman fell and struck her head on a windowsill, resulting in her suffering from head injuries.

During the incident, Hughes then pulled a knife from his pocket and attempted to strike the man with it.

Police were called to deal with the situation but Hughes had left the home before officers caught up with him two days later.

Hughes appeared from custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to two offences.

Lunged with a knife

Fiscal depute Jennifer McLaren told the court that Hughes was at the party with his partner when trouble erupted at about 11pm on October 8.

The woman became involved in an argument with a male partygoer in the stairwell and neighbours were forced to phone the police due to the ongoing disturbance.

Ms McLaren said that Hughes then got involved in the argument and “swept [his partner] to the ground” with his feet whereby she “fell and struck her head on a windowsill”.

Hughes then pulled a knife from his trouser pocket and “brandished it towards the male” and was said to have “lunged several times at the male but did not strike”.

Police arrived at the property at about 1.15am but Hughes, who is from Musselburgh but is currently being held at HMYOI Polmont, had fled the area.

The court was told that the woman was “visibly upset and intoxicated” and had suffered injuries including a cut to her cheekbone and bruising to her eye and forehead.

The knife was recovered nearby and those attending the party were said to have been hostile to the police questioning by “declining to offer information” regarding the incident.

'Went above and beyond'

Hughes was eventually arrested and charged two days later and, following a court appearance on October 11, he was remanded in custody.

Solicitor Christopher MacFarlane, representing Hughes, said that the incident involving his 20-year-old client was caught on mobile phone footage and he was not seeking bail before sentencing.

Mr MacFarlane said that Hughes had “taken it upon himself to try and stop” his partner arguing with the man but “went above and beyond” what was acceptable.

The lawyer added that Hughes and the woman were still together and had a young child together.

Sheriff Donald Corke remanded Hughes in custody and deferred sentence, to later this month, for background reports to be prepared.

Hughes pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner by kicking her, sweeping her legs from under her where she struck her head at Lumsden Square, Edinburgh, on October 8.

He also admitted brandishing a knife at an unknown male, lunging at him and repeatedly attempting to strike him with the blade during the same incident.