A woman was nearly bullied to death by an abusive brute in Fife, a court heard.
Connor Goodfellow, 24, repeatedly abused his former partner in Cowdenbeath, between August 2020 and December 2020.
Goodfellow repeatedly kicked, punched and choked the 25-year-old, while hurling vile verbal insults at her.
The court also heard how Goodfellow ignored court orders preventing him from contacting the woman after he had been arrested for the abuse.
He bombarded her with unwanted phone calls and messages, which left her so distressed that she tried to take her own life.
Brutal attack
Prosecution lawyer Bill McVicar told judge Lord Arthurson at the High Court in Edinburgh about one of the attacks.
He said: “He put his hands around her throat and squeezed her throat.
“She ended up on the floor and while lying in tears, the accused called her fat and a tramp.
“During the course of that morning, the accused repeatedly kicked the complainer on her body and repeatedly struck her on the head and body with his hands.”
She was concerned a recent scar from an operation would open.
“He held scissors against her neck and threatened to use them to give her a scar on her neck like a scar he had on his.
“The complainer had been awake all night and was very distressed by what was being said and done to her over a period of hours by the accused.”
Victim found in woodland
The story emerged on Thursday after Goodfellow pled guilty to domestic abuse and threatening behaviour charges.
Mr McVicar said the pair had been in a relationship that ended in 2020 but he continued to stay at her home.
Goodfellow was first arrested after members of the public found the distressed woman wandering in a “distressed state” in woodland.
She was taken to hospital and found to have injuries consistent with “blunt force trauma”.
Mr McVicar told the court Goodfellow was given bail with the condition he did not approach or contact his victim.
However, he breached these conditions, sending “unpleasant and alarming” messages over Snapchat.
Messages during police interview
Goodfellow was again arrested on October 26 2020, appeared in court and was granted bail with the condition that he didn’t approach the woman.
The unrelenting thug continued his harassment and police were again called to the woman’s home on November 8 2020.
Mr McVicar said: “Officers attended at the complainer’s home address and noted statements.
“In the course of noting their statements, the complainer received around 40 phone calls from a number she did not recognise.
“A Cycomms request was sent to establish who made those calls.
“In due course following examination of his mother’s mobile phone the number making the phone calls was established to be a number used by the accused.”
Relentless bullying
The court heard Goodfellow did not let up and on December 3 2020, the woman received Facebook messages from him.
Mr McVicar added: “The messages became insulting, abusive and intimidating and continued that evening and then resumed again on the morning of December 6 2020 and were similar in their nature.
“The messages continued all day with the last message being received at 11.30pm.”
She was so traumatised, she tried to take her own life – as the messages continued to arrive.
Sentence deferred
Defence advocate Tony Lenehan KC told the court he would reserve his mitigation until his client’s sentencing hearing, after background reports are prepared.
Lord Arthurson told him: “All sentencing options remain open.”
Goodfellow will be sentenced at the High Court in Stirling on May 4 2023.
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