A SHERIFF told Suzie McGuire's wife-beating husband that he was a role model.

Derek Mitchell dodged jail in January after being convicted of a series of attacks on the former Clyde One presenter which she said drove her to commit suicide.

And when Mitchell, 36, appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court today for a progress review of his Community Payback Order (CPO), a sheriff heaped praise on him.

Sheriff Robert Fife said to Mitchell, who broke his wife's finger in front of three of her children: "This is a very good example to other people who are appearing before these courts and I think it's appropriate to give you that credit."

The CPO was imposed by Sheriff Susan Sinclair, who branded Mitchell a "spoiled, jealous, possessive man" as she told him to carry out 300 hours' unpaid work.

She also told the self-confessed alcoholic to attend counselling to keep him sober and go to the Change domestic violence program, which helps violent partners change their ways.

As part of the court order he is being supervised by social workers, and a report was prepared by them for the sheriff to read ahead of his review.

Mitchell's case was dealt with by Sheriff Fife yesterday because Sheriff Sinclair is currently off sick.

And the stand-in sheriff added: "It's an extremely positive report.

"I don't think there is a paragraph in this report that's not positive."

He then scheduled a review for May so Sheriff Sinclair can see how Mitchell is progressing on the order she imposed.