An abusive boyfriend kicked his pregnant partner in the stomach and throttled her on her doorstep.
Thomas Law was abusing booze and drugs when he lashed out at his girlfriend just weeks after she discovered she was expecting her first child.
When he attacked her again, he pinned her against a wall by her neck.
Perth Sheriff Court heard he only stopped squeezing her throat when she activated an SOS alarm on her phone.
Law, 25, appeared in the dock and admitted twice assaulting his partner at locations in Perth between July 1 and November 26 2021.
Kicked in stomach
Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie told the court: “The complainer had been in an on-off relationship with the accused for one year.
“They did not live together but the accused regularly stayed over at her flat.
“The complainer described the relationship at this time as ‘starting to go wrong’ and said the accused was abusing cocaine and alcohol.”
The court heard the woman found out she was pregnant in June 2021.
“The accused was aware of this,” said Ms Ritchie.
“In July, just before her 12-week scan, the couple were together in the bedroom of her then-flat.
“The accused was intoxicated and an argument ensued between the couple.
“During the course of the argument, the accused – in bare feet – kicked the complainer in the stomach.
“She described this as sore but she was uninjured.
“Shortly after, the accused left the flat and did not return that day.”
Pinned against wall
The fiscal depute said: “On the morning of November 26 2021, the accused turned up at the complainer’s new address.
“She had just got out of the shower and was getting ready for work.
“The accused started ringing the doorbell and banging so loud that the complainer thought the door was going to break.
“She had to put the chain on to make sure he couldn’t get in.”
The woman opened the window and shouted down she was going to phone the police if he did not leave, Ms Ritchie said.
“By 8.15am, she needed to go to work and so she took her chances by leaving through the front door.
“As she came out, the accused pushed the door open and pushed the complainer onto the stairs, causing her to bang the back of the head.
“She lay there for a few seconds before the accused seized her by the arms, picked her up and then pinned her by the throat against the wall.
“He was shouting at her and started squeezing her throat.”
Alarm sounded
The court heard the woman pushed the lock key on her phone five times, sounding an audio alarm and sending an SOS message to emergency services.
“It was only when the accused heard the alarm that he let go of her neck,” said Ms Ritchie.
“The complainer said her breathing was restricted and she was feeling dizzy.”
She ran into her car, with Law charging afterwards.
Locked inside the vehicle, she spoke to the operator on the SOS line and explained what had happened. Law then ran off.
“The complainer described herself as extremely frightened by the incident and was in a distressed state,” said the fiscal depute.
“Police saw she had red marks on her neck.”
When interviewed by police, Law “spoke freely” and admitted assaulting his girlfriend.
Responsible adult
The court heard Law also breached his bail conditions by being at his girlfriend’s home in the early hours of February 13 2022.
Police, responding to an activated domestic abuse alarm, found him hiding under bedding.
Solicitor John McLaughlin, defending, said: “It is certainly my client’s hope that, in due course, they will be able to get back together.
“He describes it to me as she is waiting to see if he can turn over a new leaf and act like a responsible adult.”
Sheriff David Hall deferred sentence for background reports.
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