A Dunfermline man abducted a female, locked her in his flat and told her she was going to die as he put her through a terrifying ordeal of violence.
Dale O’Leary repeatedly told his victim she was going to die, as he cut her with broken glass, choked her and threatened her with bleach.
O’Leary, 20, of Headwell Avenue, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court having previously admitted a string of offences which took place on May 9 last year at his then home in Blacklaw Road.
He abducted Laura Davidson, seized her by the arms, spat on her, seized her by the body and pushed her causing her to fall down, pushed her against the ground and detained her against her will.
He then further assaulted her by brandishing a bottle of bleach at her, repeatedly placed his hands on her throat and restricted her breathing.
He then pushed her into the living room, repeatedly cut her on the body with a piece of broken glass, sat on top of her and covered her mouth with his hand to prevent her speaking to the police, seized a mobile phone from her, locked her in the property, all to her injury and robbed her of a phone.
He also admitted assaulting a male acquaintance, Karan Kumar, by repeatedly pushing him against a wall, seizing him by the throat and throwing him out of the property, all to his injury.
O’Leary further admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, uttering threats of violence, pouring bleach on himself and cutting his arm with a razor blade.
Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said Ms Davidson had known O’Leary for two years.
On the day of the incident, Ms Davidson and Mr Kumar had gone to O’Leary’s home. Alcohol had been purchased and consumed and they were playing cards.
However, O’Leary started becoming aggressive and Ms Davidson asked him to stop drinking which resulted in him becoming abusive.
People in the next flat heard a female shouting, ‘Get off me’ then sobbing with a male voice saying ‘Sorry’.
O’Leary had grabbed Ms Davidson’s arm when she was in the bathroom and told her to get back into the living room.
She then ran from the flat and as she went down a flight of stairs he pushed her, causing her to fall. O’Leary then grabbed Mr Kumar by the throat and pushed him out of the flat. He shut the front door with Ms Davidson still inside, telling her to go back to the living room.
O’Leary picked up a bottle of bleach and pointed it at Ms Davidson. He then poured it on his own chest and said it was burning.
Mr Kumar was still outside knocking on the door and could hear the victim’s screams.
O’Leary kept telling Ms Davidson, “You’re going to die tonight.” Ms Yousaf said the victim believed him when he said this.
He put his hands around her neck choking her before cutting her arm with a piece of broken glass. She struggled with him resulting in another cut to her hand.
O’Leary then used a disposable razor to cut his own arm before jumping on top of his victim putting his hands over her mouth.
The woman was shouting for help and when she tried to use her phone to call the police, O’Leary took it from her.
Police were eventually called and arrived to detain O’Leary. The woman was taken to the Victoria Hospital, with various injuries including cuts, bruising to her neck, swelling to her head and multiple wounds to her arms.
Defence solicitor Chris Sneddon said his client was already serving a custodial sentence imposed at Edinburgh Sheriff Court with a release date of August 3.
He said: “This is an extremely serious matter and he recognises the nature of his behaviour. He has referred to it as ‘disgusting’ and ‘vile’. He accepts he has behaved in an appalling manner and has no explanation for it.”
Sheriff Craig McSherry imposed a custodial sentence of 35 months.
