A prolific domestic abuser who smashed a vase over his partner’s head before trying to smother her with a pillow as she cried for help is back behind bars.
Paul McCafferty, 43, also beat the woman with a table leg during the vicious attack between Priory Place and Glengarry Road in Perth.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that McCafferty has previous convictions for attacks on her and other women. He is now banned from contacting the woman for the next decade.
While trying to smother the woman, the thug said: “I’ll finish you off this time.”
Members of the public raised the alarm after seeing the woman bleeding from the nose while arguing with McCafferty on Priory Place.
The pair had been on a night out where the woman described McCafferty as being increasingly argumentative which she recognised as a precursor for him turning violent.
As they walked home, McCafferty attempted to drag the woman and punched her several times to the face which caused her nose to bleed.
Two passers-by stopped the woman to see if she was okay but the woman went to her home on Glengarry Road followed by McCafferty.
Once inside, McCafferty dished out even more violence towards his terrified partner.
Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson said: “The accused followed her to the living room shouting and pushing her, causing her to bump into a table and a glass vase to fall on the carpet.
“The accused struck the complainer on the head and body and struck her on the crown of her head with the vase causing it to smash.
“The accused broke a table leg and struck her on the body and legs with it. He then dragged the complainer to the hallway by her hair.”
She added that the woman managed to break free but twisted her ankle while trying to run. As McCafferty attacked her in the bedroom, four police officers attended outside after being contacted by members of the public.
McCafferty grabbed her by the neck and as she cried out for help, the brute attempted to smother her with a pillow but allowed the woman to go to the bedroom window to speak with police officers.
After initially asking them to leave, the woman let the officers in who arrested McCafferty. The thug then struggled violently with police while being taken to the police van.
McCafferty, a prisoner of HMP Perth, pleaded guilty to attacking the woman to her severe injury and to the danger of her life on January 28.
Defence solicitor Pauline Cullerton said McCafferty has struggled with alcohol addiction and has little memory of the incident having coupled alcohol with prescription medication.
She hoped Sheriff Lorna Drummond would consider deferring sentence for a social work report however this was rebuked due to McCafferty’s previous domestic offending against multiple partners.
McCafferty was jailed for 36 months and made subject to a non-harassment order for 10 years.
Sheriff Drummond said: “Somebody who has got a record like this, domestic offending and a very serious attack, is going to jail.”
Addressing McCafferty directly, she added: “In my view I have absolutely no hesitation in saying that this warrants an extensive period in prison.
“A pattern of behaviour such as this, against the same complainer, as vicious as it is, would warrant a non-harassment order irrespective of the complainer’s attitude.”
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