Murder threat part of woman’s six-hour ordeal, court is told

A man subjected his former lover to a six-hour ordeal in which he forced his way into her flat, punched her, beat her, put his hands round her throat, grabbed a knife and threatened to murder her, plus kicked her so hard he left a footprint on her thigh.

Jamie Bradley, 37, from Dunblane, and his victim had been in a relationship for nearly two years, which ended some three months before, Falkirk Sheriff Court was told.

One night last October the victim was at home in Stirling when Bradley rang the secure entry buzzer and was let in after he pretended to be a member of her family.

Prosecutor Cheryl Clark said: “He punched her to the eye, causing her nose to bleed, and pushed her to gain entry to her flat.

“He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into a bedroom and on to a bed where he started to kick her on the legs and body.”

The victim “managed to break free and run from the bedroom, pulling the door so hard behind her she pulled the handle off ”.

Bradley followed her into the living room and held her down on the sofa with both hands around her neck before punching her on the left side of her jaw.

He then went into the kitchen and got a knife.

Ms Clark said he held this to the woman’s neck and “told her he was going to murder her”.

The prosecutor said Bradley continued his attack, “punching and kicking her on the legs and body, and hitting her on the head with a Buckfast bottle, until he fell asleep on the living room floor.”

The woman fled and Bradley was arrested.

Appearing by video link from Low Moss Prison, Bradley admitted assaulting the woman to her injury and breaching bail conditions by contacting her.

Sentence was deferred for reports.