Peter Ross Leckie, former communications director at fund manager Artemis, has been found guilty of four counts of assault.

Mr Leckie left the fund manager in July.

The former comms manager and novelist was said to have assaulted his wife in Edinburgh between September 2012 and June 2018, according to The Scotsman newspaper.

According to the prosecution, Mr Leckie seized his now ex-wife by the neck during one of the assaults.

Mr Leckie denied ten allegations of abuse but was found guilty of four charges following a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in June.

He avoided jail and was instead placed on an offenders’ supervision order for two years and ordered to carry out 140 hours of community service.

He was also handed a 10-year non-harassment order banning him from contacting his ex-wife or from entering the couple’s former home in Edinburgh’s Royal Terrace.

The couple married in 1995 and divorced in 2019.

His defense attorney, Ronnie Renucci QC, said the assault incidents had lef to Mr Leckie having to resign his position at Artemis and were the result of excessive alcohol consumption.

He added that Mr Leckie has since quit drinking.

Mr Leckie’s former roles include a directorship at Scottish fund manager Martin Currie Investment between 2004 and 2007, also in a communications role.

He is also a writer of historical novels and has unsuccessfully stood for election as a Conservative MP three times.