A Dundee thug battered his long-suffering girlfriend hours after winning a kick-boxing competition, a court has heard.
Stephen Traynor terrorised his former partner as part of a two-year campaign of domestic abuse.
He repeatedly beat her up and threatened to kill himself when she tried to leave.
Traynor, 37, said he would murder his partner in a series of menacing text messages.
He told her: “I am going to kill you. I have nothing to lose.”
The martial-arts enthusiast appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court and admitted an abusive course of conduct between Valentine’s Day 2020 and December 22 2021.
He was remanded ahead of sentencing and warned he could be jailed.
‘Mentally and physically’ abusive
Depute fiscal Sarah Wilkinson detailed the brutal beatings he subjected his partner to, as well as the coercive messages he sent her as she repeatedly attempted to leave.
Ms Wilkinson told the court: “The complainer and Traynor had been in a relationship since November 2019.
“The complainer described it as mentally and physically abusive.
“She had attempted to leave the relationship multiple times.
“On February 14 2020, the complainer and two other witnesses had been out on a night out.”
Traynor and his girlfriend returned home at the end of the evening and went to bed.
“Traynor woke the complainer in night and told her something had ‘bothered him,'” said Ms Wilkinson.
“He complained to her she had been laughing at him and talked about ex-boyfriends.
“She tried to go back to sleep.
“He punched her on the left eye.
“It became swollen and bruised.”
The fiscal depute said the pair later argued in the bedroom.
“He pinned her to the bed, placed to hands on her neck and pushed her down,” she said.
This commotion was overheard by the complainer’s friend, who lived on the same street.
Traynor let his victim go and they “went about their business”, the court was told.
She had bruising on her arm and neck.
Threatening texts
The court heard how the complainer tried “numerous times” to leave the relationship and Traynor would “beg” her not to.
He stated she was “all he had”, before sending a number of abusive text messages to her, the court heard.
He told her: “I’ll stab everyone you are with”
And: “I’ve got a rope and I am ready…I am away to kill myself.”
In another text, he wrote: “You are nothing. You are selfish. You are the lowest of the low. I am away to die to make you remember me.”
The crown said all of the messages were “coercive” and designed to keep control over his victim.
She also told police she was isolated from her friends.
Hotel assault
Another incident happened at a wedding in Dyce.
The pair had been at Jury’s Inn, when Traynor punched his partner on the face, the court heard.
He then shouted at her: “What are you greeting for?”
On August 12 last year, the pair travelled to Barnsley, where Traynor was taking part in the WKO Kickboxing championships.
The court heard he went out after to celebrate with others, and at about 7.30pm the complainer went back to the hotel room.
Ms Wilkinson added: “The complainer went to reception to see the accused later that night.
“As she walked away, he kicked her foot and tripped her up.
“At around 1.30am the next morning, Traynor returned to their room in an intoxicated state.
“He shouted at her for not coming to ‘celebrate’ with him.
“He began to throw her belongings.
“He told her to sleep in the bath.
“She began to record him on her phone.
“She told him to get out the room.
“He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled at her limbs.
“As she lay on the ground he grabbed her by the feet and hair.”
Police arrived and Traynor was cautioned and charged and made no reply.
Court order
On September 23, having been ordered by a court not to contact his former partner while on bail, he sent her more text messages.
He told her he was going to kill her and then himself.
This made the complainer fear for her life, the court heard.
The messages included: “I am going to kill you. I have nothing to lose.”
Traynor, of Perth Prison, was remanded in custody as sentence was deferred for reports.
He will return to court on August 15.
For the latest court cases across Tayside and Fife, join our Courts Facebook page.
