Man beat partner and her pet dog in vicious assault

Another woman tells jury she thought she was going to die as attacker threatened to pour boiling water over her

A woman wept as she described how her dog was punched several times as he tried to save her when her partner was subjecting her to a life-threatening attack.

Amanda Barbour told a jury that Enzo – a collie/staffordshire terrier cross – was so traumatised by the assault that he eventually had to be put down.

She said she was extremely close to the dog and he had tried to protect her as Stephen Conway, 37, throttled her and threatened to kill her.

Conway faces a lengthy prison sentence after the jury at Perth Sheriff Court found him guilty of a string of domestic attacks ranging over a seven-year period.

Ms Barbour said: “Enzo was trying to protect me. Stephen threw him down on to the sofa and hit him several times.

“The dog would kick off and bark every time Stephen’s name was mentioned. His personality changed and in the end the dog had to be put down.”

Conway, of Denvale Gardens, Kennoway, was found guilty of a campaign of violence against women he had been involved in relationships with.

The jury found him guilty of attacking Ms Barbour several times between 2010 and 2015 at their homes in Kirkcaldy and endangering her life.

He was found guilty of repeatedly compressing her neck, placing her in a headlock and threatening to kill her during the attacks.

Conway was also found guilty of subjecting her to a tirade of verbal abuse and trashing their home by punching doors and smashing fixtures and fittings.

He admitted breaking a bail order imposed on August 10 2017 by defying an order to stay away from Ms Barbour on December 5.

Another former partner of Conway’s, Kim McLeish, told the jury how she felt she was going to die during one of his savage and sustained attacks.

She described how she cowered in fear as Conway stood over her with a kettle of boiling water and told her he was going to pour its contents over her.

He was found guilty of injuring Ms McLeish repeatedly between July 1 2016 and March 29 2017 and throttling her in the same way he had attacked Ms Barbour.

He was found guilty of restricting her breathing, scratching her face, punching her body and pinning her to a bed and sofa while telling her he was going to kill her.

Conway denied all the charges but he was also found guilty of holding the hot kettle over her head and threatening to pour the boiling water over her.

He was found guilty of demanding money from Ms McLeish but was cleared of one charge relating to an assault on a girl.

Solicitor Steve Lafferty, defending, said: “Clearly these are significant matters he has been found guilty of. He clearly has significant problems.”

Sheriff William Wood deferred sentence for social work reports and remanded Conway in custody. He will also consider the Crown’s request for a nonharassment order against Conway.

The sheriff said: “Over three days, you have been standing trial in relation to very serious matters concerning the way in which you conducted your relationships.

“You have been found guilty of assaulting each of them and putting them in a state of fear or alarm through your threatening or abusive behaviour.

“I am concerned at the seriousness of the charges and the prospect that you pose a real danger to other women within a domestic setting.”

The dog would kick off and bark every time Stephen’s name was mentioned. His personality changed and in the end the dog had to be put down

Stephen Conway was found guilty of a string of attacks on women .