The twin brother of knife killer John Leathem was jailed today for a savage attack on his pregnant wife - while she was holding a baby.

George Leathem's twin was caged for life for murdering 15-year-old Paige Doherty.

George, already a convicted sex offender, attacked his newlywed wife, Amie, at their home in Erskine while she was two months pregnant.

The 35-year-old lashed out after she returned home from work one Sunday evening - and found him drunk and trying to bottle feed the baby.

She took the child away from him and fed the tot herself, before placing the youngster in a high chair.

An angry Leathem then lashed out at her, attacking her on the stairs of their home.

She phoned 999 after the initial attack but was assaulted again in the kitchen while she was holding the youngster.

The second part of the attack, which took place while police were already on their way to arrest him, left him, his wife, their home and the baby covered in blood.

Details emerged today when Leathem appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court to go on trial over the events of August 25 this year.

He pleaded guilty to two charges he faced in exchange for one being dropped.

Leathem admitted assaulting his wife and behaving in a threatening or abusive way towards the police officers who went to arrest him, while a charge of threatening his wife, banging on the door of the property and demanding entry was dropped.

Maureen McGovern, procurator fiscal depute, said: "The accused and the lady have been together for four years and have been one year married.

"The lady is pregnant.

"She came home from work at 5.45pm, to discover the accused to be heavily under the influence of alcohol, sitting on the couch, attempting to bottle feed the baby.

"She saw he was unable to do this because he was so intoxicated, and removed the child from him and fed her by herself."

The court heard Amie went outside to have a cigarette and George followed her, but was so drunk he was "stumbling and falling".

She put him back in the house and locked the door, and he got angry as he wanted to leave.

He followed her to the stairs, grabbed hold of her hair tightly and pulled it, causing her to fall on to the stairs.

Miss McGovern added: "He punched her several times on the back.

"She took the decision to make herself limp, believing that would be the best way for him to loose his grip - and that worked.

"She ran to the living room and grabbed the child and her phone and immediately phoned 999."

Raging Leatham came down the stairs and barked at his wife for house keys because he wanted to leave.

Miss McGovern continued: "He punched her directly in the face, causing her nose to burst and bleed heavily.

"Indeed, blood went everywhere - sadly, not only on her, but also the young child and also the accused.

"She recoiled in horror and attempted to shield the child as he continued to assault her by punching her several times to her head and neck."

She managed to give him the keys and he left the house, with her locking him out.

Police officers found him at the back door of the property when they arrived - after spotting "blood staining on the walls and floors in the kitchen".

Leatham told them he had "done f*** all" and was arrested - and went on to hurl homophobic insults and threats of violence at the officers as they took him to the police station.

He told one officer: "I'll f****** end you, ya f****** p**f! Get that c**k out your mouth. I've ended better than you."

Miss McGovern said Mrs Leathem had initially wanted George to be banned from approaching or contacting her, but added: "She's clearly had a change of heart, despite what's happened. She only wants the accused to get help with his alcohol."

Sheriff David Pender had been asked to adjourn sentencing for next month for background reports to be prepared.

But after hearing that Leathem had been working in a whisky bond, had switched jobs because of his alcohol problems, was already on a community payback order and subject to a deferred sentence in other cases, the judge rejected the request.

As he locked him up for nine months, he slammed Leatham for his conduct, saying: "This is an appalling offence.

"To do this to your wife while she's carrying a child and is pregnant defies belief as far as I'm concerned."

In December 2016, George was jailed for 18 months for arming himself with a knife and two batons just hours before his murderous sibling appeared in court for butchering Paige to death.

Then 32, he was caught with the same type of deadly weapon his brother used to inflict 146 knife wounds on the schoolgirl as he killed her.

And he claimed he armed himself with the weapons as he feared reprisals over his brother's shocking slaying of Paige, which saw him caged for life.

Officers caught Leathem, who dragged a woman off a street and sexually assaulted her in bushes in 2003, with the weapons at a service station in Dunbartonshire on March 31, 2016.

The following day, April 1, his twin made his second court appearance charged over the death of Paige, 15.