A man has been jailed after he barged into his ex-girlfriend’s home and brutally assaulted her new partner.
Michael Donoghue was drinking with the couple only hours before he stormed into the Aberdeen flat, dragged the man out of bed and launched his brutal attack.
As his former partner pleaded with Donoghue to stop and warned him he was going to kill the man, he replied: “I’m not killing him – but I’m about to.”
Donoghue, 36, repeatedly punched, kicked and bit the man to such a degree he had to be taken to hospital.
Woman feared for new partner’s life
Fiscal depute David Ballock told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that on the evening prior to the assault, Donoghue had been drinking with the couple at his home without incident.
However, the following morning at around 9.30am Donoghue appeared at his ex-girlfriend’s home in Cairncry Road, where he burst into the flat and began repeatedly punching her new partner as he lay in bed.
“He repeatedly punched him to the head and body while variously shouting at him to get out,” Mr Ballock said.
“The accused grabbed the complainer and dragged him out of the bed and onto the floor where he again repeatedly punched him to the head and body and bit him to the back of the neck.
“He then seized him by his throat, pinching his windpipe and restricting his breathing for around 30 seconds.”
As his former partner pleaded with Donoghue to stop and suggested he was going to kill him, Donoghue replied: “I’m not killing him – but I’m about to.”
Donoghue was ordered to leave and kicked the man on the way out the door, before returning once more and demanding the man “pack his bags and leave”.
As a result of the attack, the victim was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was found to have a number of scratches and red marks on his face and neck, including around his windpipe.
Police later found Donoghue sleeping rough close to Aberdeen city centre and realised there he was in breach of his bail conditions and had a warrant out for his arrest.
Donoghue pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and an additional charge of breaching his bail conditions.
‘This is a serious assault’
Defence solicitor Christopher Maitland told the court that the relationship between Donoghue and his former partner had been “a bit on and off” and that was the reason for his “loss of control”.
“He has had issues with alcohol and drugs, but particularly alcohol, and that has resulted in him losing his composure here,” he said.
“Mr Donoghue recognises that a custodial sentence is a significant risk because this is a serious assault.”
Sheriff Morah McLaughlin told Donoghue that, due to his previous record for offending, she was “not persuaded that a community disposal was appropriate” in this case.
“This was a serious matter and it was committed in breach of your bail order and curfew,” she added.
Sheriff McLaughlin sentenced Donoghue, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, to 16 months in prison, backdated to February 15 this year.
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