A knife thug carried out a murder bid on his girlfriend then told police: “It was brutal”.
Terry Newlands repeatedly stabbed terrified Suzanne Matheson after a row at their home in Dingwall, Ross-shire, last October.
A judge heard one wound narrowly missed Miss Matheson’s jugular vein.
Newlands is now behind bars after he today plead guilty to an attempted murder charge at the High Court in Glasgow.
It emerged the 21 year-old thug was already serving a community payback order at the time of the attack.
Newlands will learn his fate when he is sentenced next month.
The court heard how the couple had an argument last October 14 and Miss Matheson went to a neighbour’s home.
But, she later agreed to return to her house despite having earlier felt scared.
Miss Matheson was then inside the property when her boyfriend chillingly told her: “Do you know you are not getting out here alive?”
The petrified mum ran outside, but was chased by knife wielding Newlands.
Newlands managed to pull her to the ground before striking her on the neck, head and body with the blade.
He was heard by nearby residents yelling: “I am going to f****** kill you.”
One man managed to pull Newlands away before a 999 call was made for Miss Matheson.
Prosecutor Ian Wallace told how Miss Matheson suffered a number of knife wouunds – with one was near to the jugular vein in her neck.
Newlands was later detained at his mum’s house before confessing to police: “I stabbed her. It’s five years for that.
“I stabbed her a few times. I am pleading guilty. I stabbed her in the neck – it was brutal.”
The court heard Miss Matheson – who has been scarred for life – has tried to recover from the attack, but recently suffered a panic attack while at work.
Judge Lord Burns deferred sentencing until March 20 at the High Court in Aberdeen.