A Fife man who mocked and filmed his partner on his phone after beating her so badly she fractured her eye socket, has been jailed for 18 months.
Michael Munro, 32, laughed at his stricken former girlfriend following the vicious attack at an address in Keltyhill Road, Kelty, on October 18, Dunfermline Sheriff Court had heard.
Munro admitted assaulting his partner by jumping on top of her, causing her to fall to the ground. He sat astride her, seized her by the throat, repeatedly punched her in the head and threw her to the ground, all to her severe injury.
The victim suffered dizziness, blurred vision and severe headaches and it was feared she had bleeding in her brain.
Medics later confirmed she had fractured her eye socket as a result of the sustained assault.
Sentencing Munro, Sheriff Alastair Brown said three aspects of the case made a custodial sentence likely.
“One is that you seized this lady by the throat – that is always a serious form of assault.
“The second is that you fractured her eye socket and the third is that you reported she had assaulted you. You tried to blame her and that makes it worse.”
The court previously heard how the victim bit Munro’s finger in a bid to defend herself.
A neighbour heard the noise and went to their door but left when there was no response.
Munro went downstairs and the woman thought he had left the house.
She tried to phone for help but Munro reappeared and became angry again and the frightened woman picked up a knife.
Munro later claimed to police his partner had assaulted him and he was “too scared to go back there”.
The subsequent investigation revealed Munro had been the aggressor.
Defence solicitor Alexander Flett said his client had described the relationship with his partner as “toxic” and not good for either party.
“He accepts that he should not have behaved in the way he did, but it appears it’s a one-off,” he added.
The solicitor said Munro had made efforts to begin a course of anger management and suggested his victim had contacted his office to wish Munro the “best” in future.
However, a spokeswoman for the Crown said Munro’s victim had indicated she was “frightened” of the accused and was keen to see a non-harassment order imposed.
Sheriff Brown did so, banning Munro from approaching, communicating with, or being in the company of the victim for five years.
