A brutal thug who threatened his partner with a murder-suicide bid – then wiped his own blood on her so police would think he was acting in self defence – was today jailed.
Bruce Burry subjected Lorraine Foy to an horrific attack at her home in Dundee last October.
At one point he told Miss Foy he was going to kill her then himself – then pressed a fork against her face and said he was going to gouge her eye out so “no guy would look at her again”.
He then threatened to kill her and smeared his blood across her face so he could claim he had attacked her in self defence.
His rampage only ended when police arrived – prompting him to flee through the left and out on to the roof, where he commenced a three hour siege during which he hurled bricks at police cars below.
A sheriff jailed him today for two years and four months – and told him: “Given the nature of this offence there’s no alternative to custody.”
Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The accused was lying on the sofa falling asleep and the complainer told him to get up and go to bed.
“He immediately started shouting at her and was right in her face while shouting.
“She told him to ‘shut up’ and he grabbed her arms and squeezed them, causing bruises.”
Burry grabbed a knife and held it to his throat, saying he was going to kill himself and blame it on Miss Foy.
He then grabbed her by the neck and said: “I’m not leaving this house tonight and neither are you – the two of us will be dead.”
He threw her on to the bed, restraining her with his body and knees, and said: “I’m away to kill you first then I’m going to kill myself.”
The fiscal said: “The accused put his foot against her back and pulled her tightly. He let go of her and she tried to run to the stairs but he caught her.”
He then pressed a fork against her face below her eye and said: “I’ll take your eye out with this and no guy will ever look at you again.”
Brutal Burry then wiped blood from cuts on his hands across her face and told her it was so he could claim self defence.
Burry again pushed her onto the bed but she kicked him off, opened a window and shouted: “Help!”
Burry, 36, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty on indictment to charges of assault to injury, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, breaching a bail curfew, culpable and reckless conduct and possessing a knife.
All of the offences were committed last year at an address in Harlow Place, Dundee, and at police HQ in Dundee’s Bell Street.
Defence solicitor Theo Finlay asked the court to consider investigating whether Burry was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of finding his girlfriend dead in 2005.
He added: “He is assessed as high risk of reoffending and it seems the issue of possible PTSD may have an effect on his continued offending.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Burry for a total of 28 months and imposed a one year supervised release order on him meaning he will be monitored in the community when he gets out of prison.
He said: “Looking at your previous convictions and at the nature of these offences there’s no alternative but custody.
“I don’t think there’s anything to be gained from a psychological report.”
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