A serial domestic abuser has been jailed for carrying out a sustained attack in which he smashed a vase over his partner’s head and put a pillow over her face to silence her while police knocked on her front door.
Paul McCafferty, 43, admitted subjecting his victim to the terrifying ordeal, which happened after a night of drinking with her on January 28.
McCafferty, a prisoner in Perth, became argumentative and the woman left to go home after becoming wary of him.
McCafferty has spend several spells in prison on domestic assault charges, including some involving the woman.
McCafferty punched his partner on the face, causing her nose to bleed, on Priory Place, Perth, while she was making her way home.
Two members of the public saw the woman’s nose bleeding and became worried for her wellbeing.
They called the police and followed the pair to the victim’s home in Glengarry Road.
While inside, McCafferty unleashed a horrific assault that endangered herlife, including hitting her with a vase and a table leg.
He also repeatedly punched her, seized her by the body and pulled her along the floor by her hair.
He warned her he would “finish her off this time” and would “happily do time for this”.
When police arrived and knocked on the door, McCafferty smothered her face with a pillow to silence her screams for help.
When police got into the property, they found it in a state of disarray and discovered blood on a table leg and other items.
McCafferty resisted arrest, kicking at the officers and pushing his legs out to prevent them taking him into the police van.
The woman was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary and while an x-ray found she had no broken bones, she did have scratches and bruises all over her body.
Pauline Cullerton, McCafferty’s defence agent, said her client was remorseful and suffers from alcohol and anger management issues.
She added McCafferty was drinking while on painkillers and that may have triggered the episode.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond, describing it as a “really serious” offence, jailed McCafferty for 36 months and barred him from approaching his victim for a decade.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard opposing views on whether she wanted a non-harassment order imposed.
Ms Cullerton claimed the woman said she still loved McCafferty and would “stand by him”.
But fiscal Eilidh Robertson said she had expressed to the Crown she did want a non-harassment order to imposed.
