A 40 YEAR old lawyer accused of grabbing his former partner by the hair and throwing her to the ground during a row outside her Dursley home has been found not guilty of assault.

But yesterday a jury at Gloucester Crown Court did convict Stuart Dodd of Uley Road, Dursley, of breaching a non molestation order relating to the woman involved in the case.

Dodd's trial, which began on Tuesday, was centred around a row that ensued outside her home when Dodd arrived there on the morning of September 14 to discuss the dissolution of their relationship and to make plans going forward.

The woman alleged that she did not have time to talk to him that morning due to being very busy.

She claimed that during the row that ensued Dodd grabbed hold of her hair and threw her on the ground.

Dodd maintained that he was simply trying to 'keep her out of his space'.

During his evidence on Wednesday he told the court the relationship between them following their break-up in February of last year had been 'civil' for around six months but rapidly deteriorated.

Dodd said he had been told by his former partner the day before the incident that she wanted to meet to discuss arrangements.

On the morning of September 14 he arrived at the woman's address before 8am knowing she had some time off work, he added.

He said that she was in a rush and became 'visibly anxious'.

"She has a stride about her that you know if she is cross.

"As she came round I thought 'here we go' and she lunged at me.

"I turned and put a hand up and said that was not appropriate but she was fairly committed with what she was doing.

"She repeated it. She was anxious and irate. I said it wasn't appropriate and told her not to lunge.

"I was concerned."

Dodd said he walked towards the gates of the property to 'get some space'.

"She was on me, aggressive, there was nothing I could do to get away," he said.

"She was so close, it was invasive. I just wanted some space.

"I wanted her out of my face. I was trying to get to the side of her. I thought 'this isn't right' and I wanted some space.

"She was either pointing at me or lunging at me.

"I said to stop touching me and said 'that's assault.'

"I just wanted her to calm down" he told the court.

"I thought the only place I had to keep calm was in my car."

During the altercation, the woman was seen on CCTV on the ground.

She stated that Dodd pulled her to the ground by her hair.

Dodd denied the allegation and said she must have stumbled to the ground.

A witness to the incident, Andrew Bartley, who was sat in his car in the car park at the nearby Premier Inn, said he saw the couple.

"I couldn't hear as I was in my van. I had to drive past them to get out of the car park. I stopped briefly and could tell they were arguing," Mr Bartley told the court.

"I saw the woman go up to the guy and he palmed her away.

Mr Bartley was asked what he meant by 'palmed away'.

Mr Bartley said it wasn't an aggressive action but a defensive one.

"I stopped because I was concerned about what was going on. He wasn't the aggressor, he was behaving defensively."

Mr Bartley was asked whether he was certain it was the woman that was being aggressive.

"From what I could see yes," Mr Bartley told the court.

"He stepped back, twisted away and put his hand up."

Dodd was also charged with breaching a non-molestation order relating to a separate incident.

The jury found him guilty of that offence and he will be sentenced on June 13.