Five women suffered terrifying attacks at the hands of a violent man who committed domestic abuse for more than a decade, Dundee Sheriff Court heard.
After one of Frank Degernier’s horrific attacks his victim described looking in the mirror and being so shocked by her injuries she compared her facial bruising and swelling to the boxing film Rocky.
One of the victims said her injuries were comparable to a car crash she had been in and another was left with perforated eardrums.
Degernier, 39, of North William Street, Dundee, pleaded guilty to assaulting five women between 2001 and 2013 and on Monday the court heard about a string of his sick attacks, including pinning one woman to a door with a crowbar when she tried to leave.
He kicked another victim in the stomach so hard she was sick, rubbed her face in it until she got friction burns and then forced her to clean up the mess while she was pouring with blood and crying.
Depute fiscal Vicky Bell told the court it was just three or four weeks into the relationship when the first assault occurred, and afterwards the woman was subjected to regular beatings and was too fearful to leave.
She said: “During one of these beatings Degernier punched her, causing her to fall to the ground and then stamped on her hand saying he would ‘make sure it was broken’.”
“He was wearing a pair of brown workwear boots at the time.
“He proceeded to repeatedly stamp on her hand whilst wearing those boots to the point where she was sure her hand was broken.
“He then kicked her full force in her stomach, which caused her to vomit on his carpet. As she was being sick he grabbed her by the hair and rubbed her face in her own vomit.
“He rubbed her face that forcefully into the carpet that she sustained friction burns on her skin. He thereafter continued to punch and kick her then just stopped for no apparent reason.
“He sat back down and made her clean up her vomit. As she did so, blood was dripping from her mouth and she cried throughout.”
After the attack the woman was too scared to leave so she sat in silence as Degernier repeatedly spat on her and drank himself to sleep.
In another attack, Degernier kicked and punched the woman in the head and body while she lay curled up in a foetal position on the ground and was so terrified she wet herself.
After the attack she was too scared to move and lay on the floor waiting for him to fall asleep so she could make her escape.
The woman was subjected to a number of horrific attacks until she ended the relationship with the assistance of Barnardo’s and Women’s Aid, who also helped her move home.
The court heard another woman had been attacked by Degernier after he pulled on the handbrake of her car while she was driving, causing her to spin out of control.
He then grabbed her by the throat when she told him to get out of the car and shoved her face into the window.
Sheriff George Way told Degernier he was a “Jekyll and Hyde” character, capable of charming his victims one minute then raining down furious blows the next.
Sentence was deferred until October 27 for the preparation of reports and a psychological assessment.