TABLE THE wife of Aberdeen FC manager Willie Miller was attacked and

beaten in the street by a man who had been on a drinking binge, the

city's sheriff court heard yesterday.

Ian Smith, 48, unemployed, of West North Street, Aberdeen, admitted

assaulting Mrs Claire Miller in the city's Affleck Street on September

19 by pulling her hair and repeatedly striking her on the legs with a

wooden fence post.

Smith admitted causing a breach of the peace by shouting, swearing,

striking a car with the post, and assaulting a policeman by kicking him

on the legs, and 19 previous convictions.

Defence agent Miss Linda Bentley said her client accepted that it must

have been ''a terrifying experience for the lady involved''. Smith had

been drinking and remembered little of what had taken place.

Sheriff Alexander Jessop deferred sentence on Smith until January 17

to give him a final chance to deal with his drink problem and avoid

further trouble.