Man jailed after woman leapt from window to escape assault
- Published
Dale Montague was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow
A man has been jailed after a woman broke her back jumping out of a first-floor window to escape him.
The woman suffered injuries to her spine, wrist and heel after leaping out of the flat in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute.
Dale Montague, 35, pled guilty to assaulting her to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment as well as to the danger of her life.
At the High Court in Glasgow he was sentenced to five years in prison.
Prosecutor Lorraine Glancy KC said the woman, who has been left with a limp and a hunch, was subjected to a "sustained assault" for several hours from 7 to 8 May 2022.
Montague, who was known to the woman, initially got into her home and locked her in after turning up demanding that she pay for his taxi. The court heard he threatened to smash her windows if she did not comply.
After returning in a "bad mood", he repeatedly punched the victim and choked her unconscious, threw ash trays and bottles and jumped on her.
He also trashed the flat, taking two doors off their hinges.
Montague, who already had 43 convictions including several for violence, told the victim: "I thought I would feel guilty, but I am not leaving here until I have killed you," the court heard.
Police had been called by a concerned neighbour at one stage but left after finding the flat in darkness and receiving no answer at the door.
Facial injuries
The victim eventually managed to run to the front door, but it remained locked.
Miss Glancy said: "She could hear him shouting. Fearful that he was going to kill her, she opened a first-floor window, squeezed through before jumping onto the ground below."
Witnesses went on to find the badly hurt woman in the street that morning in her dressing gown.
One person who knew her did not recognise her due to her facial injuries.
The victim said Montague was responsible and that she had "climbed out the window to get away from him".
Lady Stacey told him: "You know that this is disgraceful and that you behaved in an atrocious fashion."
As well as his jail term, Montague was given a six-year non-harassment order banning him from contacting the victim.