A domestic abuser forced a cigarette into his victim’s mouth and left her with ash and scorch marks during a brutal, sustained attack which spanned five days.
Ross Ramsay, 39, knocked his then-partner out cold at one stage and screamed at her to get up as she lay unconscious on the floor.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told a young child witness screamed at Ramsay to get off because he was throttling the woman during the prolonged attack.
Fiscal depute Lora Apostolova told the court Ramsay hurled vile insults and abuse at his girlfriend as he repeatedly attacked her.
Cigarette burn
On the first occasion he lay waiting for her in her bed when she did not think he was in the house.
“He had a cigarette in his hand and she told him he could not smoke in the house.
“He pretended to contact the police to complain about her.
“She tried to grab the cigarette from his hand.
“He grabbed her by the wrist and hair, pulled her head back and shoved the cigarette in her mouth.
“She tried to call 999 but he snatched the phone from her.
“She had multiple marks on her hand, several scratches to her neck, and cigarette ash and black stains in her mouth.”
Tried to flee out of window
The second part of the attack started when Ms Henderson woke in the night to find Ramsay standing over her and he immediately started punching her.
Miss Apostolova said the complainer made several attempts to escape but Ramsay kept dragging her back inside and police found a clump of her hair on the floor.
During the third incident Ms Henderson tried to flee out of a window but Ramsay dragged her back in by the hair and punched and kicked her on the body.
“She lost consciousness and came to with the accused standing over shouting, ‘Get up.’
“She came round and he began punching her again.”
She suffered a broken nose and front teeth and a fracture to her ring finger.
Sheriff Richard MacFarlane told Ross Ramsay: “This charge makes startling and alarming reading and the narrative offered to the court is just awful.”
Sheriff MacFarlane deferred sentence to allow her to submit a victim impact statement.
Ramsay was remanded in custody.
The charges
Ramsay, a prisoner at Perth, admitted engaging in a violent course of behaviour against his partner of three years at a property in Dundee between January 28 and February 1 last year.
He admitted that on January 28 he pulled her by the hair and body and forced a cigarette into her mouth as part of an attack which left her scarred for life.
On January 30 he prevented her getting to the phone and punched her on the head and body.
He continued by pulling her by the hair and body, pushing her against furniture and seizing her by the throat to her injury.
Two days later he locked her in her home and pulled her back from a window when she tried to escape, and grabbed her clothing, body and hair.
He pulled her down and dragged her along the ground, chased her and repeatedly struck her head against a door.
He admitted punching her head and body until she was rendered unconscious to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Jailed over Dundee man’s death
Ramsay was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh in 2012 for seriously assaulting a man who died during a street brawl in Dundee.
Alexander McLennan, 55, was fatally stabbed during the incident and Ramsay and two other men were initially charged with his murder.
John Cassidy eventually admitted culpable homicide and was jailed for seven years, while Ramsay and Steven Batchelor admitted seriously assaulting the victim. Ramsay was sentenced to 45 months and Batchelor was jailed for 40 months.
