A WHITECROOK man who violently attacked his then fiancée has thanked a sheriff for jailing him as punishment.

William Kennedy, of John Knox Street, turned up at the woman’s door so drunk he doesn’t remember the incident at all, heard Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week.

The 30-year-old had been in a relationship for some two and a half years with the woman until last October, said fiscal depute Emma Thomson.

She said the pair were exchanging messages on December 1 and later spoke on the phone when Kennedy appeared to be drunk.

At about 3.10am the next morning, the woman heard a thud at her living room window in Whitecrook Street and then shouting from Kennedy.

He was trying to get into the common close through the main door and was kicking the secure entry.

Kennedy managed to get into the close and continued to shout to be let in, putting his hands through the letter box.

He kicked the front door, causing the door frame to snap and part of the lock to break.

Kennedy got into the flat and grabbed the woman, who ended up on the floor and being kicked to the head. She brought her hand up to her face and was kicked again.

The woman reached for her phone and called her mother, who contacted police and turned up at her daughter’s flat to find her “extremely upset”.

The court heard the woman declined medical attention and had a minor cut to her left ear and a slight scratch to the left hand.

Kennedy, an industrial cleaner, pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to acting in an aggressive manner and forcing entry to the flat, and to assaulting his ex-partner.

His defence solicitor told the court the relationship was still on at the time of the attack and were even engaged.

He said: “There had been certain tensions in the weeks leading up to the incident. He is deeply ashamed for his conduct.

“He recognises he had become dependent on alcohol leading up to this incident. He doesn’t have a clear recollection why he would behave in this way. He is now attending Alcoholics Anonymous. He does recognise the seriousness of the situation.”

Sheriff Simon Pender pointed to Kennedy previously having a conviction at the High Court for assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and the danger of life.

He said: “This was an appalling attack on your partner, who must have suffered significant fear and alarm. It seems only good fortune the injuries were not serious.”

Having jailed Kennedy for six months, Kennedy said: “Thank you my lord – it’s a justified sentence.”