BACKGROUND reports have been ordered into a 41-year-old man who admitted assaulting his partner to her injury.

Scott McCaffary threatened to kill the woman and at one stage compressed her throat with his hand.

He also struck her with a kitchen utensil to the neck and body.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told the incident on May 14 last year happened at a house in Broughton.

McCaffary, who gave an address in the Biggar area, had sentence deferred until September 19 for the production of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said it was “to see if there is an alternative to prison”, pointing out it was an extremely serious charge.