A man assaulted his former partner in a brutal hammer attack in his home before making a chilling threat to another ex on the same day.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told Robert Morrison targeted the man at his flat on August 22 and just half an hour later he went to another city property and where he punched and grabbed a pregnant woman by the throat.
The 31-year-old appeared via video-link and admitted a string of charges, including stealing a £90,000 Alfa Romeo and crashing it into two parked cars in a separate incident in the spring.
Fiscal depute Christy Ward told the court Morrison went to the city property at around 7.30pm and once inside began struggling with his male victim.
She said: “They grabbed onto each and during the ensuing struggle the accused picked up a small black-handled claw hammer.
“The complainer moved into the bedroom and the accused struck the complainer to the left side of his head causing him to fall to the bed.
“The complainer went to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and suffered four cracked ribs and damage to his left eye socket.
“At 8pm the accused attended at the flat of another complainer. He grabbed the pregnant woman by the throat, punched her face and told her ‘I’m going to kill you.’”
Ms Ward also told the court that Morrison, a prisoner at HMP Grampian, had stolen a car from Golden Square on May 3.
She said the owner was alerted to the theft by a tracker on the Alfa Romeo after receiving a phone call from the manufacturer of the device.
Ms Ward said: “The owner of the car was told that it was being driven and when he went to the front he could see the keys and car were gone and the door was ajar.
“People living on Gairn Terrace heard a loud bang and saw the Alfa Romeo was outside and it had been abandoned outside.
“There was damage to the wheel arch of the car after it had hit two parked vehicles. All three vehicles were written off and the owner of the Alfa Romeo received an insurance payout of £78,000 with the owners of the other cars receiving payouts of £1,600 and £1,850.
Defence agent Dylan Middleton said: “He struggles with his mental health and has done for a long time. He states he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs and the time.
“He accepts he is guilty of the charges and he is under no illusions that a custodial sentence is inevitable. He regrets his actions.”
Sheriff William Summers said: “These incidents are of the most serious offences. I’ve listened to Mr Middleton and it is quite clear there is no alternative to custody.”
Sheriff Summers jailed Morrison for 25 months, banned him from driving for 12 months and placed him under two non-harassment orders for five years each.
Morrison admitted stealing a motor vehicle, driving without a licence, driving with no insurance, failing to report an accident, breaching bail conditions by contacting his former partner, assault and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
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