Disturbing CCTV footage shows the moment a violent maniac throttled his ex-partner and told her she was going to die.
Other footage shows thug Christopher Forrest throwing his terrified victim to the ground and hurling abuse at her during a campaign of domestic abuse.
Forrest, 40, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday and pled guilty to 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.
We can exclusively reveal that in her victim impact statement the 33-year-old professional told the court that Forrest’s attacks had left her anxiety-ridden and suffering from panic attacks.
She also revealed to the court that on one occasion demented Forrest forced bank notes into her mouth as punishment for asking him for money.
The chilling footage, which was recorded on a camera meant for dog-watching when the house was empty, shows Forrest hurling abuse and launching unprovoked attacks on the woman.
In one video she can be heard gasping for breath as he chokes her and says: ‘You’re going to die.’”
She said: “At the time of each attack I suffered physical pain as detailed above and left in a state of shock for many hours at times which came in forms of silence with disbelief of what had happened to me, or in floods of tears and very distraught and unable to understand why I deserved this treatment from an individual that claimed to love and care for me.
“I would come home from work terrified as to what I would be walking into, I felt as if I was walking on egg shells.
“My attacker was so unpredictable that even when I tried to do something nice, like make dinner for him, he could still lash out.
“I was fearful to ask anything of him for example to put a washing on or tidy up as he would get angry and unpredictable at being asked to do these things.
“As a result I did anything that needed done myself, including DIY, to avoid any outbursts.”
She said the ordeal has left her fearful in certain situations and struggling to interact with her colleagues and friends.
She told the court: “Certain movements or behaviours remind me of some of the violence I suffered from and as a result make me jump or cower. This causes awkwardness around work colleagues, friends and others close to me.
“My neck is an area that I am particularly sensitive about and become panicked if anyone gets close to it.
“I feel that since these attacks I have become more withdrawn. I do not like and find physical interactions awkward, uncomfortable and at times scary. I am more focused on people’s body language and I can feel unnecessarily fearful. I try to avoid social interactions and struggle to interact with people.”
The court heard the the relationship began in 2015 and the first assault happened after the woman arrived home in Blantyre with shopping on July 6, 2017.
The couple had an argument in their driveway where Forrest had been working on monoblock.
Forrest grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the wall before shoving her against the car with such force the rear wiper broke.
On other occasions she was left with a bleeding nose and marks on her neck.
The woman finally reported matters to the police in September 2020.
Last night, a friend said: “She just wants justice done and for him to pay with jail time for his actions. This has dominated her life for the last five years and she is still facing repercussions today. He needs locked up and forced to confront his violent nature.
“He always made her feel like she had forced him to beat her and strangle her. When he shoved the cash into her mouth it was because she had asked him to pay his half of a holiday that was booked. He called her a ‘money grabbing cow’ and assaulted her. This is not normal behaviour. We can only hope the court will make sure he can’t terrorise anyone for a long time.”
Her friend added: “She and her family have been through hell. He’s just a thug who targets those weaker than him.”
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.
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