Jealous thug who slashed partner's throat jailed for almost five years

A jealous thug who slashed his partner's throat because he thought she had feelings for other men has been jailed for almost five years.

Mark McGowan, 36, dragged Susan Simpson around by the hair and smacked her head with a table leg.

His victim cried that she loved him in a bid to make him stop the brutal attack.

The 42-year-old feared she was going to die when he slit her throat with a serrated knife.

Neighbours below heard her screams for help and arrived in time to see McGowan's violent assault.

Yesterday (Thurs) at the High Court in Glasgow, McGowan admitted attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend at her Cardonald home on March 17.

Passing a sentence of four years and eight months, judge Lord Burns said: “This is a very serious assault on your long term partner which might well have killed her.

“Indeed it very nearly cut some arteries, had it done so, she would have died.”

The court heard McGowan and Miss Simpson had been together for three years.

On the day of the unprovoked attack, she was cooking him dinner and went to a male friend's house in the same block of flats, who had been released from hospital.

Jealous McGowan turned up at the door shortly afterwards and argued with his partner before they both went to their flat.

Advocate depute Duncan McPhie, prosecuting, said: “There, Miss Simpson removed a lasagne from the oven. Parts of it were burned.

“McGowan argued and accused her of having feelings for other men.

“She denied this and McGowan became violent and aggressive and dragged her by the hair into the living room.”

Miss Simpson screamed for help and felt her head being hit by what she believed was the leg of a coffee table.

McGowan rained blows on her with the item while she screamed she loved him “in order that this might make him stop”.

She screamed for help when he dragged her to her feet with a bread knife in his hand, fearing for her life.

Neighbours two floors below heard her shouts and ran to her aid.

Mr McPhie said: “Miss Simpson saw McGowan raise the bread knife. He put it to her neck and dragged it in one fluid motion across her neck.

“She felt the skin in her throat opening up and thought she was going to die.”

McGowan then picked up table leg and calmly walked out of the house.

Miss Simpson was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where she was treated for a five to six centimetre wound to her neck which needed eight stitches.

She also had a two to three centimetre wound to the back of her head needing four stitches.

The court heard: “The attack was brutal and violent. When Miss Simpson caught sight of her injuries at the hospital she broke down upon seeing the damage inflicted.

“The injuries will cause disfiguring and scarring due to use of a serrated knife.”

McGowan was found by police the following day and when cautioned and charged, replied “I didn't try to murder her but”.

Defence counsel Thomas Ross said McGowan “accepts responsibility” and “accepts this incident brings the relationship to an end”.