A paranoid abuser who carried out violent attacks on two former partners in Dundee has been spared a prison term.
One of the women feared 27-year-old Bruce Webster was going to kill her when he grabbed her by the throat.
Another ex-partner was thrown around a living room by Webster who laughed as she tried to defend herself.
Webster regularly accused both women of cheating on him and threatened suicide during drunken rages.
On one occasion, the hypocrite lashed out after he was caught in an intimate situation with another woman by one of his exes.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael said: “Both of these crimes have crossed the threshold for a custodial sentence.”
Seized by throat
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the first woman had been in a relationship with Webster for around a year before he attacked her in her home after she returned home from a music festival.
He loudly banged on her door in the early hours of the morning and refused to leave.
Fiscal depute Ewan Chalmers said: “She tried to call 999 and the accused smashed the phone on his head causing it to bend.
“She fell on a dog cage, which collapsed to the floor.
“The accused was still shouting and accusing her of being unfaithful. She begged him to leave.
“He then grabbed her body and threw her to the ground with force.
“She got up, stumbled and the accused seized her throat and pinned her against a wall in the living room before throwing her across the room.”
The woman fell against the arm of a sofa before Webster straddled her.
While close to her face, he said: “Idiot, everything is your fault.”
Bombarded with calls
The terrified victim tried to kick Webster but he laughed at her.
She eventually managed to escape barefoot across the street and sought refuge with a friend of her mother.
In August 2019, a month after the attack, the woman agreed to see Webster again but was bombarded with 55 missed calls and 93 messages via Facebook.
Webster said in the messages: “Gonna cause murder if I find out you are seeing other people behind my back.
“Are you warning your new lad as I am away to slit his throat.
“I am out for murder. F*** jail. F*** your family.”
Terrified second woman
The second woman told police that Webster became physically abusive with her after they moved in together in 2021.
After returning from a drinking session, Webster sat on top of her before grabbing her throat.
“She described being scared and thought he wanted to kill her,” Mr Chalmers told the court.
“He began to cry and apologise and said he wanted to kill himself.”
The court heard how the woman caught Webster in an intimate setting with another female which prompted him to pin her against a wall with his forearm.
He later spat on her, threw a cup of water on her and repeatedly kicked her on the body and punched her face.
When she tried to escape his clutches, Webster would drag the woman back by her clothing.
‘Faultless’ victims
Webster, of Brown Constable Street, admitted two charges of domestically abusive behaviour in 2019 and between 2021 and 2023, respectively, at addresses in Dundee.
Solicitor Mike Short urged Sheriff Carmichael to impose a community-based order.
He said: “Part of the reason to consider a direct alternative (to prison) is he has to be educated.
“He has a certain behavioural problem that has to be addressed over a long period.
“These ladies in question were faultless.”
Sentencing
Sheriff Carmichael told Webster: “I have to look at alternatives to see if there are any that might be suitable.
“You have not offended since and you have a short record of convictions. There is a positive social work report.”
Webster was placed on supervision for 20 months and ordered to perform 220 hours of unpaid work.
He is now subject to the Caledonian Programme for domestic offenders as well as a five-month restriction of liberty order (7pm-7am).
The sheriff also imposed seven-year non-harassment orders to protect each of the victims from Webster.
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