A man who assaulted his ex-partner with a belt before fleeing from police has been told by a sheriff to “hang his head in shame”.
Jordan Honeyman appeared before Kilmarnock Sheriff Court where he pleaded guilty to two charges of assault between September 2018 and July.
The 25-year-old, who appeared from custody at Addiewell Prison, began to cry in the dock as the prosecutor described how he repeatedly stuck his then partner of four years with his belt in a prolonged attack which was overheard by neighbours.
In a separate incident from September last year, Honeyman also attacked a man in the street leaving him unconscious after he intervened in a fight between Honeyman and his ex.
The first incident occurred on September 29, 2018 when Honeyman was out in Dockhead Street, Saltcoats with his former partner.
The two were having an argument and a member of the public, witnessing the incident, interrupted the pair after seeing “behaviour that he did not like.”
The court heard how the man “asked what was going on and the accused punched him on the head.”
The fiscal depute said: “There were also police officers patrolling at the time and attended to the complainer. Immediately the complainer was rendered unconscious.
“When he fell to the ground he also had a cut to his lip, nose and had a lump on his head. He was taken by ambulance to Crosshouse Hospital.”
Honeyman was cautioned and charged by police at this time however he also admitted a second charge of assault on July 20.
The court heard how the pair, who were at home at an address in Saltcoats at around 10pm, began to argue over cheating allegations.
The prosecutor told the court: “The accused removed his belt and began to strike the complainer on the body. She feared a further assault so went upstairs to her bedroom and got under the covers.”
However, Honeyman followed her and started swearing at her.
The court heard how he “pulled the covers from the bed and repeatedly punched and slapped the complainer on the head. She was screaming for help.”
The woman’s calls were picked up by a neighbour two doors down who could overhear “screaming and a female in distress and a male shouting ‘f*** off’”.
The fiscal depute said: “Another anonymous call was made to police about this disturbance.
“Police attended around 3am. Outside the property they could hear a female voice shouting in a distressed manner and could see the male at the blinds in the living room.”
The officers knocked on the door shouting “police” and were eventually let in by the woman then told that Honeyman had fled the scene.
The woman was taken to Crosshouse Hospital as a result of her injuries and Honeyman was later traced at another address where he was interviewed and claimed to have been “defending himself”.
Honeyman, who has been in custody since July 22 in relation to this matter, began to cry in court.
However, addressing him, Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane said: “You might well hang your head in shame and sit there crying having assaulted [your partner] in this brutal way.”
Sentencing was deferred until next month for background reports will be prepared.
Sheriff McFarlane added: “I will be granting a non-harassment order on that day.”
