A Dundee man terrorised his partner with a hammer and crowbar during a heroin-fuelled outburst at her home.
Brad Kelly destroyed a doll’s house during the terrifying episode, which was overheard by a neighbour.
Kelly slapped his victim twice and later told the police that he was “just in a rage”.
He told them: “I just want the jail.”
The 25-year-old was remanded at HMP Perth but has now been liberated after the court heard he had made significant progress to get his life back on track with the help of support services in prison.
Neighbour heard shouting
Dundee Sheriff Court previously heard how Kelly had “consumed an unknown amount of heroin” on the morning of August 15 2022.
The woman asked Kelly to leave her home, but an argument ensued and she retreated into the corner of the living room.
She was slapped to the left side of her head and raised her arms to defend herself.
Kelly continued with his violent abuse, kicking her to the left arm and punching her to shoulder.
A neighbour overheard the terrified woman shout: “Leave me alone” and “he’s just battered f*** out of me”.
Matters escalated as Kelly walked into the kitchen and returned clutching a hammer and crowbar.
He struck the weapons together before breaking the roof of a child’s doll house. Kelly left after putting the hammer in his bag.
‘I just want the jail’
Police later arrested Kelly, formerly of Whitfield Gardens, who said: “I just want the jail.
“I didn’t mean to slap her I was just in a rage.”
Kelly later breached bail conditions by being in the street where the woman lives.
He shouted that the woman would be “getting it worse than last time” and admitted to police that he again wished to be sent to custody.
Kelly pled guilty to attacking the woman, behaving abusively while arming himself with a hammer and crowbar, stealing a hammer and damaging the doll’s house on August 15 2022 before breaching bail conditions on April 27 2023.
He appeared for sentencing at Dundee Sheriff Court via video link from HMP Perth.
Solicitor Angela McLardy said Kelly had seen significant improvements in his mental and physical wellbeing during his time in custody.
Upon his release, she said he would be working for the next year with the Positive Steps charity in an effort to secure permanent accommodation and turn his life around.
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith imposed a high-tariff structured deferred sentence on Kelly, who will have to return to court in September.
“It’s quite clear to me that when you have stopped drinking in the jail your mental health has at least levelled out if not improved significantly,” the sheriff told Kelly.
“If you keep off the drink your mental health is going to be better when you are in the community.
“It’s going to be better if you continue your fitness programme and make good use of your time rather than lying about worrying about things in your life.”
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