Dramatic evidence from beyond the grave was given to a court as a man was jailed for a violent and sustained attack on a woman later killed by another male.
Kevin Robertson, carried out the brutal and prolonged Forfar assault on Catherine Sandeman in February last year after accusing her of sleeping with another man.
The 51-year-old denied the assault and, as the case was preparing to go to trial, Ms Sandeman was knifed almost 50 times by her then partner in a frenzied attack.
Her killer, Lee Hopsdal, is awaiting sentence after admitting culpable homicide but Robertson was jailed on Thursday for the assault he carried out months earlier after Forfar Sheriff Court heard the chilling witness statement of Ms Sandeman.
Robertson, who spent 160 days on remand in connection with the attack, appeared for sentence after admitting an indictment of assaulting Ms Sandeman at his home address in Goosecroft on February 5 last year.
Depute fiscal Hannah Kennedy said Robertson and Ms Sandeman had known each other for around 15 years and been in what police said was a “tempestuous” on-off relationship for five years.
Ms Sandeman had arranged to stay at the accused’s home on the night of the attack and they began drinking. Robertson quizzed the complainer about previous relationships.
Without warning, he began punching her on the face and then would stop, sometimes crying, before repeating the attacks.
“This went on for a prolonged period, hours rather than minutes,” said Ms Kennedy.
“After he had hit her, he would then apologise and start stroking her face.”
At one point Robertson also seized his victim by the throat and, in her statement to police taken after Robertson’s arrest, she said she was struggling to breathe.
Around 9am the next day, Ms Sandeman tried to dial 999 but police could not hear her voice because she was whispering down the phone.
A neighbour had heard the shouting and repeated screams of the victim the night before, as well as a thud, which was Ms Sandeman being thrown around by the accused, and contacted police.
Officers saw Ms Sandeman cowering at a window when they arrived and Robertson eventually let them in.
Ms Sandeman was taken to hospital where she was discovered to have bruising to her face, eyes and nose and on her neck where it had been compressed.
In interview, Robertson blamed the noise on his victim, saying she had been falling into things. Robertson also alleged that Ms Sandeman had attacked him with a dumbbell and chisel.
Defence agent Bob Bruce said his client had suffered drug problems and previously attempted suicide but was now on a methadone prescription and had stayed out of trouble for six months.
Sheriff Veal told Robertson: “This was a really dreadful assault on Ms Sandeman, the injuries were severe and nasty.
“The accused has 17 previous convictions and this was committed while he was on two bail orders.”
The sheriff said he would have jailed Robertson for 400 days but, taking into account the period already spent in custody, imposed a term of 78 days.