A HELENSBURGH man carried out a vicious assault on his ex-partner – despite being urged by a crying child to stop.

Kevin Burns, 34, turned up at his ex’s house and forced her to the ground, before banging her head against a wall and punching her.

A court was told that Burns, of East Clyde Street, tried to blame his new partner for what happened after she turned up midway through the incident.

The victim was left severely injured and needed hospital treatment following the attack, which happened on June 29 last year at a property in Brackenhurst Street in Dumbarton.

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Burns pleaded guilty to a charge of assault at a hearing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week.

The procurator fiscal told the court: “On June 29 there was a text conversation concerning the children.

“The complainer asked for money and he became aggressive and seemed out of character.

“He then messaged her to apologise and said that he didn’t want to fight, and that he had been drinking.

“The accused then arrived at the complainer’s house in a taxi. She was in the back garden, cutting the grass.

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“She told him he was drunk so couldn’t see the children until he was sober.

“He put his head against hers and applied pressure. He then held the complainer and forced her to the ground.

“The complainer ran towards her back door, but the accused got to the door before she managed to close it.

“The witness was making her way through the house and saw someone in the garden - the accused’s new partner coming towards the house.

“The accused spoke to his partner and said ‘get to, you shouldn’t be here’.

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“The accused went on to bang the complainer’s head against a wall. [The girl] was crying, telling him to stop.

“He then punched the complainer to the face.

“She fell on to the stairs and felt dizzy, and heard a crack.

“He apologised and said he would call the police, but the accused did not phone the police.

“The accused said to his partner ‘I’m going to get the jail – I’ve broken her jaw and it’s your fault’.”

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The victim attended at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for surgery to her jaw and wasn’t discharged until July 2.

The court heard that efforts were made by the police to trace the accused and he attended voluntarily at Dumbarton police station on June 30.

Sheriff William Gallacher adjourned the case so a social work report could be carried out.

He told Burns: “I will consider all options.”

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