A violent man pinned his girlfriend under water and threatened to kill her when she accused him of having a “secret Facebook account”.
Gordon Welsh flew into a rage when Suzanne Christie made the comment to him.
The former ghillie and gamekeeper grabbed Miss Christie by the throat and screamed at her, before throwing her into a bath and pinning her under the water.
The 43-year-old, of Auchinyell Road, Aberdeen, dragged her around the living room, banged her head off of the walls and floors, and threatened to kill her.
Yesterday Welsh pleaded guilty to assaulting Miss Christie to her injury when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow.
He also admitted being in possession of a firearm, having a sawn-off shotgun in his home.
The assault happened on May 28 this year at Morrison Drive, Aberdeen.
The court heard Welsh was acting as though “something was bothering him” during an outing with Miss Christie, and when she made a comment about it he lasted out.
Advocate depute David Taylor said: “At about 12.30am on May 28, Miss Christie made a comment about the accused having a ‘secret Facebook account’.
“Welsh immediately became violent and grabbed her by the throat and pushed her backwards onto a nearby armchair whilst shouting that her child ‘would be better off without a scumbag mother like you’.
“Welsh kept a tight grip of Miss Christie’s throat causing her to have difficulty in breathing.”
The victim next remembers being in the bathroom where there was a “further flare up” and she hit Welsh.
He grabbed her neck and pushed her into the bath filled with water and fell on top of her landing on her.
Mr Taylor added: “Her next clear recollection is having Welsh pulling her hair and banging her head against the walls and floors of the living room.”
After the attack, Welsh paced the room and told Miss Christie it was “her fault”.
The next day, Welsh covered up his attack – which left his victim with bruises and missing patches of hair – by calling her work to say she had fallen off her bike.
Police were not contacted until June 11, when Welsh turned up outside Miss Christie’s home and wouldn’t leave.
During his police interview, he “volunteered” he had the sawn off shotgun at his father’s house along with ammunition, from when he was working as a ghillie.
Judge Lady Rae deferred sentence for reports until next month and remanded Welsh in custody.