A domestic abuse victim who feared she was going to be killed by her violent boyfriend has spoken of her relief that he is behind bars.
 
Kelsie Skillen, 18, was subjected to a four hour ordeal at the hands of James McCourt at the flat they shared in Milton, because she wouldn’t get him a cigarette.
 
McCourt, 19, hid her phone and keys and locked the door to stop her leaving before battering her for hours.

She said she believed he was going to kill her as she drifted in and out of consciousness during the sustained attack and finally managed to contact her mum for help.
 
Last month at Glasgow Sheriff Court, McCourt admitted a charge of assaulting Miss Skillen “on various occasions” between May 1 and 31 this year, including bursting her nose open.
 
He also pled guilty to the prolonged assault to her severe injury on June 5 and “detaining her against her will”.

He pled guilty to a separate charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in a taxi during the lead up to the assault.
 
Sheriff Sam Cathcart told McCourt the “only appropriate” sentence was custody and sent him to detention for 21 months.
 
He ordered McCourt be supervised for eight months after he is released, and imposed a five year non-harrassment order preventing him from contacting his ex partner.