Girlfriend knocked unconscious during assault by partner

James McAndrew admitted to punching, kicking and lunging at his partner in a booze-fuelled attack on October 12 this year.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard that the 40-year-old had been in a relationship with the victim for approximately one year before viciously attacking her in her Steps Road home.

The court heard the couple had been to McAndrew’s father’s home all day drinking before returning to the victim’s home in the late afternoon.

The fiscal Katie McCall told the court it was then that McAndrew, of Jean Street in Port Glasgow, pounced, assaulting the woman so badly she was screaming for help.

She said: “At around 4.30pm within the home address, the accused, for no reason, threw a carton of milk on the living room floor, causing an argument and led to the accused lunging at the complainer who was sitting on the couch.

“The accused grabbed the complainer by the throat and pulled her hair. The accused then proceeded to kick and punch the complainer on her body. All the while the complainer was screaming and shouting ‘please help me’.”

Ms McCall said a neighbour passing by heard the commotion but was “too scared to intervene”.

After this McAndrew’s victim said she lost consciousness.

The fiscal told the court: “The accused threw a clothes horse and this struck the complainer. She lost consciousness for a period and after she came to she spoke to the accused and he apologised.

“The parties then went to the shops in a vehicle and after an incident in the vehicle the complainer went to her grandparents house and called police.”

When police spoke to the victim they noted she had a black eye and a mark on her neck and was suffering pain on her body. When police arrived at Steps Road to ar rest McAndrew they found him on the couch “under the influence or alcohol or drugs and the living room was in a state of disarray”.

Sheriff Michael Hanlon adjourned the case until next month for Criminal Justice Social Work reports and bailed McAndrew