An abusive boyfriend has dodged jail for attacking a woman who had to jump out of a moving car to escape him.

Brian Lynn, 36, avoided custody after admitting several charges of domestic assaults and threatening abusive behaviour towards two partners over a decade.

The court heard Lynn, of Dickson Drive, Irvine attacked a woman who was three months pregnant in a car after turning up at her gran’s house for a family gathering – after being told not to attend in fear of ‘causing a scene’.

When he turned up demanding to see her, his partner agreed to meet him outside and got in the car to talk, believing it would remain stationary.

He then drove off at speed and hit her face against the car window on Quarry Road, shouting “who the f*** do you think you are”, before punching the side of her face and then threatening to leave her on the moors.

Fearing for her life, the woman jumped out of the moving car on 30 mph Kilwinning Road, before Lynn shouted: “What you doing you f****** idiot?”

The complaint states he spat on the the same woman’s face between March 23-31. He also admitted spitting on her, repeatedly slapping her, seizing hold of her and punching her on the head on June 14, 2011, – with the Procurator Fiscal telling the court he shouted: “I’ll do what I want”.

While staying over at Christmas, he attacked the woman after he accused her of having scratched him then slapping her on the face to her injury.

The court heard bruising was later found on the woman when at hospital following the incident in December 26, 2013.

The court was told he also subjected a second partner to threatening or abusive behaviour by shouting, swearing, acting aggressively and threatening violence between April 24 and December 19, 2017.

When he returned to court last week, defence solicitor Alex Muir admitted his client had shown “awful behaviour”, but said Lynn had since completed a programme addressing aggressive behaviour towards women before admitting the historic offences.

Sheriff Shirley Foran told Lynn she would “step back from custody” adding: “If I hear anymore, Mr Lynn knows what to expect.”

He received 12 months supervision and 240 hours of unpaid work.