An Irvine man has been caged for sickening assaults on a woman and attacking a one-year-old boy.

Robert David McLaughlan, currently living in HMP Kilmarnock, subjected the woman to violent abuse and threats, including hitting her, choking her, brandishing a hammer and tearing up medical records.

McLaughlan, 34, who has also went by the surname Scott, brutally assaulted the woman to her severe injury on various occasions at addresses in Irvine’s Kirkgate, Bourtreehill and two addresses in Lockerbie between January 3, 2013 and July 20, 2017.

He also assaulted a baby and a teenager during this time.

Court papers state he seized her by the hair, lifted her off her feet by the hair, threw her against a table and wall, pushed her causing her to fall to the ground, placed his hands round her neck and compressed her throat to restrict her breathing.

He also knocked her to the ground, straddled her as she lay on the floor, struck her on the body with his hand causing her to fall over and attempted to place his hand over her mouth.

He was also found guilty of threatening or abusive behaviour toward the same woman by shouting, swearing, acting in a threatening manner in the same addresses as well as Ayrshire Maternity Unit at Crosshouse Hospital.

He also tore up medical notes relating to the woman, uttered offensive and derogatory remarks, brandished a hammer, threatened violence and threatened to smash a windscreen.

McLaughlan was also found guilty of assaulting a one-year-old boy to his injury by grabbing hold of him, lifting him off the ground, pinning him against a wall while shouting and swearing at an address in Bourtreehill in 2014.

He later assaulted the same child, then aged four, to his injury by seizing hold of him pinning him against stairs restricting his breathing while shouting and swearing at him in Lockerbie last year.

He was also found guilty of assaulting a 14-year-old boy in Bourtreehill in 2016.

After pursuing the boy he seized him by his clothing and lifted him off the ground and threw him onto a bed. He then pinned him down, kneeled over him and compressed his throat while shouting and swearing.

McLaughlan was found guilty of four charges of assault and one of threatening or abusive behaviour after trial in Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.

The jury returned a not proven verdict for three further charges.

McLaughlan was jailed for a total of two years when he returned for sentencing at the sheriff court on Tuesday, July 17 last week.

He will remain under supervision for 12 months after his release.