Man jailed for brutal hotel room attack in Glasgow
James Butler tried to stop his victim breathing during the assault
A man who made his lover fear for her life in a brutal hotel room attack was jailed for 28 months today.
24-year-old James Butler turned on Freya Herbert at a Premier Inn at Glasgow's Pacific Quay.
Butler who was drunk became enraged after believing that Miss Herbert did not love him anymore.
He covered her mouth which restricted her breathing.
He also kneeled on her stomach and said that he would kill her.
Butler bit Miss Herbert on the cheek as the weakening victim struggled to break free.
He later drove Miss Herbert towards the borders after promising to take her home to Kinross, Perthshire.
Butler pled guilty today to engaging in a course of behaviour which was the abuse of a partner or ex-partner.
The charge spans between December 2021 and August 2022.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that the pair were long distance having met online in May 2021.
Butler first attacked the woman after they met the parents of Miss Herbert's ex-partner at a hotel.
The pair made up but Butler later made vile comments towards Miss Herbert.
Miss Herbert went on to stay with Butler at his home in Wolverhampton before he ended the relationship in August 2022.
Butler wished to restart the relationship in the following days and asked her to visit him in Glasgow while he was working there for two weeks.
The pair did not discuss their issues even after checking into the Premier Inn in the city's Pacific Quay.
They visited Ibrox Stadium and Hampden Park and went for dinner at the hotel.
Butler became intoxicated and claimed that Miss Herbert did not care or love him anymore.
Miss Herbert went back to the room with a drunk Butler joining her later that night.
Butler made similar comments about her not caring for him before he stated: "Please stop, just shut up."
Butler repeatedly poked Miss Herbert before grabbing her hooded jumper.
He towered over her as she started to cry.
Prosecutor Emma Baker said: "He placed his hand over her mouth to get her to stop making noise.
"As she started to cry, she could not breathe through her nose as a result."
Butler went on to kneel on her stomach and shouted that he would kill her.
Miss Baker added: "She thought she was going to die, she was breathing heavily, became breathless and felt that she was losing strength."
Miss Herbert tried to push him away and Butler bit her on the cheek with force while still covering her mouth.
Miss Baker said: "At felt at this stage, that Butler was going to choke her to death."
She managed to break and sobbed in the corner of the room as Butler attempted to apologise.
Butler told Miss Herbert to call the police before pulling the phone away from her.
Miss Herbert then vomited in the toilet before falling asleep.
Butler "promised" to take Miss Herbert home the next day but asked if she wanted to go to Wolverhampton for the weekend which she refused.
Miss Baker said: "As Butler got on the motorway, she saw the sign saying Carlisle and he was in the overtaking lane.
"She realised he was heading towards Carlisle - a different direction than required to get home."
On noticing that it was the route to Wolverhampton, Miss Herbert said: "Why are you taking me to the border?"
She became "worried and panicked" before Butler stopped at a service station on a back road towards Edinburgh.
Butler begged her to sort it out but Miss Herbert made it clear that she wanted to go home.
She was eventually dropped off after applying makeup to a bruise to hide it from her mother.
Police were contacted immediately after she broke down when entering her home.
Sheriff Shona Gilroy granted a 10-year non-harassment order restricting Butler's contact with Miss Herbert.
She said: "The victim impact statement from the victim says this has caused significant physical and psychologic effects as well as trauma to this day."