A SCIENTIST who broke his wife’s collar bone after an argument about watching the Rugby World Cup on television has been admonished at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

John Corrigan, 59 – who lives with his wife in Portugal – had been watching the Scotland vs Tonga match last October at Peebles Rugby Club.

They returned to a relative’s house in Innerleithen Road, Peebles, but Corrigan said he wanted to go back out and watch the Wales vs Australia game.

But his wife did not agree as he had been drinking and an argument developed resulting in Corrigan pushing her into a wall and shelving resulting in her falling to the ground and suffering a shoulder injury which was later found to be a broken collar bone.

Police were called and after Corrigan was cautioned and charged he replied: “I can’t remember doing it.”

He previously appeared from custody at Jedburgh Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting his wife by pushing her on the body and causing her to fall down to her severe injury.

Back in October, sentence was deferred for six months for Corrigan to be of good behaviour.

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said his client was a retired biochemist who had been the worldwide head of operations for an alcohol production company in France and had travelled from Portugal to attend court.

He said the couple had been together for 44 years but had been going through a difficult time looking after an elderly relative.

Mr Hulme said the incident was a “one off and out of character”.

Sheriff Robert Fife said he was prepared to take an exceptional step and admonish Corrigan given he had been of good behaviour for the past six months and did not expect to see him in court again.