Man jailed for balcony murder bid

Kevin Steele's victim clung onto a railing as she attempted to stop herself being pushed over to face a 30 feet drop, a court heard.

Advocate depute Paul Kearney told the High Court in Edinburgh: "She thought at this time that she would go over the balcony and recalls looking down to see if there was anything that might break her fall."

During the attack the woman's head was also struck against a door and a floor and she was punched and kicked.

A neighbour was alerted to her plight by her "horrendous" screams and made a 999 call to police to come to the flats near Edinburgh.

But before they arrived Steele pushed his way into a flat where his 42-year-old victim had tried to take refuge and continued his assault on her telling her: "I am going to f***ing kill you."

He repeatedly hit her head off the floor and punched her with a witness describing blood being "everywhere".

During the attack he grabbed the victim's breasts and attempted to pull down her trousers.

A judge told Steele: "You have pled guilty to a charge of attempted murder involving a serious, vicious and prolonged assault on a woman with a sexual element which came to an end only when interrupted by the police."

Lord Stewart also ordered that Steele should be kept under supervision for a further six years.

The judge said he understood there were continuing psychological consequences for the victim.

Labourer Steele, 37, of Springfield View, South Queensferry, earlier admitted assaulting the woman to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement in the murder bid on September 26 last year.

Steele, who has previous convictions for assault, sent the woman texts saying that he loved her in the days leading up to the assault.

In the early hours of the morning she was wakened by knocking on her door and when she answered it it was pushed open by Steele.

She was dragged from the flat and pushed down on steps where she struck her head. Steele pulled up her top and bra and grabbed her breasts and began to hit her forcefully on the face with the palm of his hand.

The woman managed to escape and ran upstairs towards a friend's home, but as she reached the door Steele pushed her face into the frame and when she turned round he struck the back of her head against the door.

The bleeding victim was thrown to the ground and repeatedly kicked. "The next thing she remembers is being at the railing of the balcony," said Mr Kearney.

The prosecutor said Steele was trying to push her over the railing and the drop was estimated at 25 to 30 feet. "She was gripping the railing with her left hand at this time to prevent herself from being pushed over the balcony," he said.

The woman next remembered being attacked by Steele at the top of a stairwell. He painfully squeezed the screaming victim's breasts and began to try and take off her jeans.

She managed to escape again and ran to a friend's door who ushered her in and tried to close the door, but Steele pushed his way in and dragged his victim through to the living room where he threatened to kill her.

The woman's friend ran from her home to get help and shouted on police responding to the 999 call to get to her flat quickly as she thought Steele was going to kill her. Steele was detained.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment and was later found to have a total of 67 injuries to her head and body.

Mr Kearney told the court that the woman has decided she can no longer stay at her home.

Defence solicitor advocate Cameron Tait said Steele was realistic that he faced a custodial sentence and would be subject to the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

The judge placed Steele on the sex offenders' register.