Police found blood and hair on a hammer after a man killed his girlfriend’s pet hamster as part of a 15-month long campaign of abuse.
Arran Swift targeted the animal after the woman left him in her home address in Fife.
The death came to light after Swift sent the woman a chilling message, stating “Timmy isn’t going to survive”.
Police found the body of the animal, along with blood splatters where it had been thrown against a wall and a hammer covered in blood and hair.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard the 37-year-old carried out a litany of abuse after entering into a relationship with the woman in 2018 or 2019.
Fife thug told victim ‘Timmy isn’t going to survive’
Fiscal depute Ronnie Hay detailed the abuse, including the destruction of the victim’s pet, committed after she took Swift back following a previous split.
He said: “The complainer felt sorry for him and invited him to stay with her.
“The accused’s behaviour did not vary – he began controlling what she was doing.
“He punched and kicked at walls and mirrors.
“They separated in September 2021 and she left her flat, leaving her pet hamster Timmy.
“Between September 6 and 16 telephone records showed 391 communications were made from his phone to her.
“These messages were also threatening – she received one saying ‘Timmy isn’t going to survive. Where are you?….bad move, goodbye’.”
Police went to the property and found evidence Swift was still living there – along with the grim discovery of the pet’s body.
Mr Hay continued: “They observed the deceased hamster, which appeared to have been struck off the wall.
“They contacted the SSPCA and an inspector attended and found the hamster and blood spatters on the wall.
“She saw a hammer with blood and hair on it.”
Part of the charge against Swift was that he “did strike (her) pet hamster against a wall, strike it with a hammer causing death and thererafter mutilate its dead body.”
Tied and knocked unconscious
On an earlier occasion Swift trapped the woman inside her house, tied her hands together and followed her around the house – even watching as she used the toilet – and threatened to stab her.
On another occasion he hit her, resulting in her waking from unconsciousness in the bathroom.
After the woman left Swift initially, she found him inside her house.
Swift had taken some important items, including jewellery and photographs, telling her he had taken “things that matter to you”.
He invited her to a Travelodge in Edinburgh with the promise of returning the items.
She texted her mother asking her to call the police as she needed help, only for Swift to beat her with a gin bottle.
Other incidents included stealing a television that had been taken in by a neighbour following delivery, making threats to kill her former partner, sending her photos to suggest he was in her local area and he stated he had put cameras in her home.
Swift, a prisoner at Edinburgh, admitted engaging in a course of conduct abusive of a partner or ex-partner at addresses in Fife, Edinburgh and Cumbernauld between October 2020 and January 2022.
Sentence was deferred for reports and Swift was remanded in custody.
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