A jealous boyfriend held a pillow over his partner’s face and drove her into the woods where he told her he was going to kill her.
David Riddoch, 34, went on to stalk the woman after she dumped him, following her around and at one point searching her home while she cowered under the bed.
His victim was left fearing for her safety, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard.
Fiscal depute Alan Townsend said Riddoch and the female had been in an on-off relationship for some 15 years.
At one point in 2010 Riddoch was “acting jealously regarding another male” and “pushed her on the left side of her face whereby she was knocked unconscious”.
Another disturbing incident occurred while the woman was lying in bed shortly before Christmas 2017 after she had recently told Riddoch she was going to break up with him.
Riddoch had “a go verbally at her regarding a male who she’d briefly been involved with” before climbing on top of her, pinning her down and holding a pillow over her face with “some force for about five seconds”.
In February 2018 the pair were driving to a fish and chip shop when Riddoch asked her if she loved him.
When she didn’t respond he drove to woodland near Hazlehead Golf Course.
Mr Townsend said: “He stopped the car, pushed her out of the car and pushed her through the woods making various threats including words to the effect of ‘I’m going to kill you’.
“At one point he said ‘I’ve gone too far now, you’ll end up leaving me so I’ll have to finish you off’.”
After the woman left Riddoch he sent more than 100 texts and emails asking to get back together and on April 25 last year he went to her house, where he was told she wasn’t in.
Mr Townsend said: “The accused didn’t believe she wasn’t at home and entered the house and searched for her and found her hiding under the bed.”
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Three days later Riddoch followed the woman while she was out shopping and she “attempted to enter various stores to get away from him”.
Mr Townsend said: “He followed her from store to store.”
Riddoch pled guilty to assault to injury, two charges of assault, one of stalking and one of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
He also previously admitted breaching bail conditions.
Sheriff Morgan McLaughlin deferred sentence on Riddoch, of Springhill Road, Aberdeen, for reports until next month.
Defence agent David Sutherland reserved mitigation for sentencing.
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