A MUM subjected to a terrifying domestic abuse ordeal tried to harm herself with a knife in the hope she would “bleed out and die”, a court heard.

Connor Goodfellow, 24, repeatedly abused the female in Cowdenbeath between August 2020 and December 2020.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Goodfellow repeatedly kicked, punched and choked the female, during the assaults. He also hurled vile verbal insults at her.

The court also heard how Goodfellow ignored court orders preventing him from contacting her and bombarding her with unwanted phone calls and messages which left her so distressed that she tried to take her own life.

Today, (Thursday, April 6) prosecution lawyer Bill McVicar told judge Lord Arthurson about one of the attacks.

He said: “During the ongoing argument, the accused insulted the complainer describing her as mental.

“He put his hands around her throat and squeezed her throat.

“She ended up on the floor and while lying in tears the accused called her fat and a tramp.

“During the course of that morning, the accused repeatedly kicked the complainer on her body and repeatedly struck her on the head and body with his hands.

“She took a knife and held it to her stomach and began to hurt herself.

“She said she hoped she would just bleed out and die.

“At that point the accused took hold of the knife and got it out of her hands.”

The story emerged on Thursday after Goodfellow, of Cowdenbeath, pleaded guilty to physical assault and threatening behaviour charges.

Mr McVicar told Lord Arthurson that the incident involving the woman holding the knife to her stomach took place in August.

Goodfellow was arrested after members of the public found the woman wondering in a “distressed state” in nearby woodland.

She was taken to hospital and found to have injuries consistent with “blunt force trauma”.

Mr McVicar told the court that Goodfellow was given bail for the attack with the condition that he did not approach or contact his victim.

However, Goodfellow breached these conditions. Mr McVicar said Goodfellow sent “unpleasant and alarming” messages to her over the Snapchat Social Media network. One message sent by Goodfellow spoke of how he hoped the woman would be gang raped.

Goodfellow was once again arrested by the police on October 26 2020 and once again appeared in court and was granted bail with the condition that he didn’t approach her.

But the court heard that this didn’t stop him. Police were once again called to her home on November 8 2020.

Mr McVicar added: “Officers attended at the complainer’s home address and noted statements. In the course of noting their statements, the complainer received around 40 phone calls from a number she did not recognise.

“A Cycomms request was sent to establish who made those calls. In due course following examination of his mother’s mobile phone the number making the phone calls was established to be a number used by the accused.”

The court heard that Goodfellow still continued to contact the woman. On December 3 2020, she received Facebook messages from him.

Mr McVicar added: “The messages became insulting, abusive and intimidating and continued that evening and then resumed again on the morning of December 6 2020 and were similar in their nature. The messages continued all day with the last message being received at 11.30pm.

The court heard that the woman was left so traumatised by the messages that she decided to try and take her own life.

Mr McVicar added: “At 2pm on Monday December 7 2020, as a result of the distress caused by the accused contacting her, she took an overdose of her medication with the intention of killing herself.

“Forty five minutes after taking the overdose, she received more messages from the accused and they continued until 11pm when she was physically sick.”

The court heard that Goodfellow was then rearrested by police.

Defence advocate Tony Lenehan KC told the court that he’d reserve his mitigation until his client’s sentencing hearing.

Lord Arthurson told Goodfellow that he was deferring sentence for the court to obtain reports on his background.

Lord Arthurson told him: “All sentencing options remain open.”

Goodfellow will be sentenced at the High Court in Stirling on May 4.