Brute smashed his girlfriend’s windows with a baseball bat and threatened her

A vile thug hurled a baseball bat at his girlfriend and then smashed her windows during a vengeful rampage.

Kevin Connor, 25, lost the plot with partner Laura McCrudden at a property in Lochwinnoch when he erupted in violence amid claims she had assaulted him.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard Connor had been staying overnight at her home, when all hell broke loose on the morning of September 1 last year.

Procurator fiscal depute David McDonald said: “He was at her home address when he woke up and stated to the witness, ‘ I remember what you did with me an’ that.’

“He began shouting and swearing at her, prompting her to leave the locus amid concerns for her safety.

“She returned and found the accused brandishing a baseball bat when she asked him to leave.

“He threw the baseball bat, it made contact with Ms McCrudden on her hand.

“She left and heard sounds of smashing. When she was out in the street, she noticed her living room windows had been smashed.”

The court heard her neighbours heard the rammy and called police, where Connor continued shouting and swearing at her.

Connor called her a “prostitute,” and she replied: “No one would take you in.”

He also threatened, “I am going to f****** rip you the next time I see you,’ and told her, ‘I am going to kick your c*** in.’”

He was traced by cops in Lochwinnoch and arrested.

However, he was taken to hospital with a dislocated shoulder, which he claimed was a result of an attack on him by Ms McCrudden.

He told cops, “If I had hit her with a baseball bat, she would be in hospital, not me, sitting here with a dislocated shoulder.”

The court heard Connor was found in possession of a hammer in Lochwinnoch on December 28 last year after he had been shouting at witnesses.

He was also found in the company of Ms McCrudden in breach of his bail conditions.

The prosecutor added Connor was arrested on Hogmanay at a house party in Paisley’s Stevenson Street, where he again was caught with Ms McCrudden.

Mr McDonald said: “Police attended the address following a complaint of a breach of Covid-19 regulations.

“He was found hiding under a bed. He was also in breach of bail conditions.”

He pleaded guilty to charges of public disorder, smashing windows, throwing a baseball bat, possession of a hammer in a public place without reasonable excuse, and breaching conditions of bail in respect of Ms McCrudden.

Defence agent David Nicholson said: “There is context to this. He woke up to be struck on multiple occasions by Ms McCrudden striking him with the baseball bat.

“This resulted in his dislocated shoulder.”

The lawyer urged the court to consider handing his client a sentence as an alternative to custody, once it had obtained background reports.

Sheriff Colin Pettigrew deferred sentence until May 13, but warned Connor: “The likely outcome will be a custodial sentence.”