The estranged husband of a former radio received almost £20,000 of Legal Aid to defend himself against claims he attacked her.
Derek Mitchell, 36, was sentenced to a Community Payback Order after he was convicted of assaulting the former Radio Clyde presenter Susie McGuire.
McGuire, 45, and two of her four children gave evidence against him during his trial at Paisley Sheriff Court last year.
A freedom of information request has now revealed that lawyers acting for Mitchell, an accountant, were given £21,291 by the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) to cover the costs of fighting the case on his behalf.
A total of £1,521 was given to advocates Maryam Labaki and Paul Brown. Mr Labaki received £840 for her work on Mitchell's case, while Brown was paid £681.60.
A total of £10,769 was given to Glasgow law firm Reilly, Cassidy & Company, who employ Mitchell's main lawyer, Stephen Bentley.
The remaining £9,000 was paid to Renfrewshire law firm McCusker, McElroy & Gallanagh, who enlisted solicitor advocate Billy Lavelle to conduct Mitchell's three-week-long trial.
Terry Gallanagh, who is a partner in the firm, has since represented Mitchell at a review hearing to see how he is progressing on the Community Payback Order he was given for his attacks on Suzie.
SLAB said there is a complex procedure behind deciding whether to give legal aid which takes into account likely cost of a case and the client's ability to pay the legal fees involved.
A spokesman added: "Anyone applying for criminal legal aid has to satisfy stringent financial eligibility tests and show that paying for their own legal help would cause undue hardship.
"As part of this, we consider the sort of case an applicant is involved in and they have to provide detailed information about their income, capital and outgoings."
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