Aberdeen man attacked woman with animal skull

AN ABERDEEN man has been jailed for 20 months for attacking a woman with a hammer and – an animal skull.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard Christopher Ness, 37, repeatedly punched Jillian Melvin or Forbes, on the head and body.

Ness also left her scarred for life by hitting her on the head and body with a hammer, or similar item.

Fiscal depute Alan Townsend said the couple, who had been in a relationship for around seven months at the time, had been drinking for several hours before the incident in November last year.

He said: “The woman decided to leave but he was angry and approached her from behind and struck her several times.

“She fell on a couch and he continued to strike her on the head and body. He started striking her with a hammer and she put up her hands to defend herself.

“At some point an animal skull is picked up and swiped across her face.”

She was left with cuts and bruises on her head, face and legs, the court heard.

Ness, whose address was given in court papers as 30b Ferrier Crescent, Aberdeen, had admitted the attack at an earlier court hearing.

Sheriff Kenneth Stewart said he had no choice but to jail Ness.

“This is a brutal and cowardly assault resulting in scarring of a permanent nature,” he said. “There is no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence because of the seriousness.”