Man who took child and struck ex jailed

Colin MacDonald, 29, will also be subject of a ten-month supervision release order when he is freed from prison, in the interests of public safety.

MacDonald and his long-term partner had ended their relationship on June 9 this year, which he found "emotionally difficult".

Two days later, MacDonald turned up outside his parnter's house in Ratho Station, Edinburgh, in a car driven by a friend.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that the woman ran away from MacDonald - who was described as "irate" - leaving a child in her care next to his car in a buggy.

Procurator fiscal Isabel Clark told the court: "Mr MacDonald stopped chasing the complainer soon after and returned to the vehicle.

"When (his former partner] returned to where the car had been parked she realised the child was missing from the buggy and immediately phoned the accused. He told her that if the police chased him he would crash the car.

"She was in a state of fear and alarm, and neighbours urged her to call the police.

"All officers in the area were alerted to the situation, which was being treated as abduction, and a police car managed to track down and pull over the vehicle safely."

However, on August 14 this year - while MacDonald was on bail for the first offence - his former partner returned from a night out with friends to find him sitting in her living room.

He pushed her on to a bed and punched her face before compressing her neck, causing her to pass out.

When she came round she realised MacDonald was lying on top of her.

She produced a knife which she had taken hold of when she realised he was inside the property and the pair were involved in a struggle.

MacDonald suffered a superficial cut to his lower back and the woman was given stitches for a cut to her lip.

Neighbours heard the struggle and phoned the police, who arrived to see the woman running across the garden with blood on her face, when she reportedly shouted: "He's got a knife".

Mark Hutcheson, representing MacDonald, said: "He had only arrived at the house because he had been trying to contact her all evening and he admits he gets severely jealous and paranoid because of a long-term drug problem.

"He is sorry for what he has done and accepts his actions were wrong."

Sheriff Mackinnon told MacDonald: "Due to the seriousness of the matter I will be sentencing you to ten months' imprisonment for the first offence and 20 months for the second."

The sheriff said MacDonald's sentence was reduced by a third because he had entered an early guilty plea.