A TRANENT man acted so aggressively towards his partner she was forced to flee onto the street in search of help.

Martin Ellard had been socialising and drinking with partner at his Carlaverock Avenue home when “a prolonged argument” was said to have broken out between the pair.

Neighbours heard shouting and screaming coming from within the property, while they also heard a woman “screaming and crying”.

His partner was then forced to run into the street where she was found to be “crying for help” following the altercation with Ellard in July this year.

A passer-by saw Ellard telling her to get back inside the property but the man intervened by asking if she needed help before calling the police.

Police officers arrived at about 8.45pm to find the woman still out in the street where she was described as being “upset and distressed”.

Ellard, 29, was then traced and arrested by police at about 1.30am the following day and soon admitted the altercation.

The construction worker pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner by shouting, swearing and acting aggressively towards the woman at his home address on July 8 this year.

He also admitted a second similar charge during Tuesday’s appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court when he pleaded guilty to behaving aggressively towards the same woman on February 21 this year.

Fiscal depute Mark Keane said that on this occasion the pair were within Ellard’s car at Newbigging, Musselburgh, when “a verbal altercation” broke out and the woman felt she could not continue with the relationship.

She made her way to Musselburgh Sports Centre to use the gym but when she left the facility later “the accused followed her” despite being told “to leave her alone”.

Again a passer-by heard the woman in distress and called the police.

Ellard’s solicitor told Sheriff Peter McCormack she would reserve her mitigation to the sentencing diet.

Sheriff McCormack deferred sentence, for the preparation of background reports, to October 24.