A Fife abuser has been jailed after leaving his partner fearing she would die when he twice prevented her from breathing in a terrifying attack.
Colin Thomson appeared by video link from Perth Prison to be sentenced for a campaign of abuse towards his long-term partner.
He admitted squeezing her throat for almost a minute, placing his hands over her mouth and pinching her nose.
Fiscal depute Ron Hay said: “The witness thought she might die.”
‘The witness thought she might die’
Mr Hay told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court the couple, from Kennoway, had been in a relationship for eight years and had two children.
At 10pm on April 3, they were in their bedroom and Thomson became annoyed and began shouting at her.
He grabbed her by the throat with both hands and began squeezing for almost a minute.
She was described as being “terrified” and had to scream for help.
Thomson pushed her to the ground and placed his hands over her mouth and pinched her nose.
Mr Hay said: “At this point, the witness thought she might die.”
She was able to kick herself free.
Thomson told her “it was all her fault” and followed her upstairs.
She placed a towel on the ground as a door stop as she attended to a child who had woken up in the house.
Thomson forced his way in and headbutted the woman without any warning, as she had the child in her hands.
Police were contacted but Thomson denied them entry and a short time later, the woman left, “crying inconsolably.”
Woman fled through window
Two months earlier, on February 9, a dispute broke out in their family home.
Mr Hay said: “The accused believed she had cheated on him.”
Thomson, 34, began shouting and swearing and became aggressive.
He fetched a knife from the kitchen, which he held against his own neck.
Thomson said: “That’s it, I’m going to cut my throat.”
The court heard children were in the room at the time.
His partner had to climb out of the window and a neighbour could hear her crying.
Police were contacted.
Late night visit
On April 6, after receiving messages and a call from her former partner, the victim was visited by police to make her aware of newly imposed bail orders preventing Thomson from contacting her.
However, in the early hours of the following morning he visited her home and they spoke through the letterbox and he then threw stones at her window.
He threatened to to smash up her car.
She went back to bed and woke up at 8.10am to “numerous” text messages from Thomson so she contacted police.
The relationship is now over.
Jailed
Defence solicitor Brian Black said: “He at least describes feeling sickened with himself and disgusted by what he’d done.
“He accepts that because he’s not been accepted for the Caledonian Men’s Programme, custody is inevitable.
“Longer term, his focus can be some contact with rebuilding his life.
“He accepts that his relationship is over.
“It’s taken a long time to accept this relationship was over.”
Thomson admitted acting in a threatening manner in Feburary, assaulting his then-partner two months later, twice trying to suffocate her and headbutting her while she held a child.
Thomson also admitted to breaching bail orders.
Sheriff James Williamson said the assault had been “a shocking example of violence” and jailed him for a total of three years.
He also issued non-harassment orders lasting five years.
