A woman feared she was going to die at the hands of her violent partner who throttled her repeatedly at their Blantyre home.
On one occasion, as she struggled to breathe, brute Christopher Forrest told his terrified victim: "I don't care if I go to jail."
Forrest, 40, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday.
He admitted assaulting his then partner to her injury and the danger of her life on three occasions.
The attacks happened at their home between July 2017 and August 2020.
Forrest also admitted threatening or abusive behaviour towards the woman.
Paul Jamieson, prosecuting, said the relationship began in 2015 and the first assault happened after the woman arrived home with shopping on July 6, 2017.
The couple had an argument in their driveway where Forrest had been working on monoblock.
Mr Jamieson told the court: "He grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against a wall, lifting her on to her tiptoes.
"He then moved her against the back of her car with such force that the rear wiper broke and she fell to the ground."
Four months later the couple argued in their bedroom and Forrest again grabbed his partner by the throat, calling her a cow.
Mr Jamieson stated: "The woman says she couldn't breathe and tried to break free.
"He then dragged her by the hair and struck her face off the bed several times, causing her nose to bleed.
"Like the first assault, this was not reported to the police at the time.
"However, the woman's parents saw her that night. There was blood on her head and red marks on her neck. She was extremely upset."
The third assault happened on August 8, 2020.
By this time the couple had separated but were still in contact over their shared property.
The fiscal said: "She mentioned money he owed her parents and he snapped.
"He put both hands around her neck and began to choke her, restricting her breathing.
"She tried to push him away, mouthing 'I can't breathe', and the accused said 'I don't care if I go to jail. You're going to die at my hands, you cow.'
"[The woman] was scared she would die. She felt she was beginning to pass out, but after 15-20 seconds the accused let go and walked away."
Mr Jamieson said that, apart from the violence, Forrest had a controlling attitude towards his partner.
His temper was such that she "felt the need to tiptoe about the house".
He would check her phone regularly and accuse her of "having something to hide or cheating on him".
The woman finally reported matters to the police in September 2020.
Defence agent Andy Thomson said Forrest has had no contact with his ex-partner since then and there has been no further offending.
Sheriff Linda Nicolson deferred sentence until next month for a criminal justice social work report and an electronic tagging assessment.
Forrest, now of Lochaline, Ayr, had his bail continued.
*Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here .
And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Why not head to our page and give us a like and share.
