A BULLY who subjected his former partner to 20 years of “utterly horrendous” abuse in Helensburgh has been jailed for more than two years.

Thug Gary Patterson left his victim’s life in danger as a result of the terrifying attacks – some of which happened while she was pregnant.

Patterson, 43, appeared for sentencing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Wednesday after a jury found him guilty of a catalogue of abuse following a trial earlier this year.

Patterson repeatedly pushed his victim on the body, repeatedly pinned her against a wall, repeatedly struck and punched her on the head and body, pushed her into a dog bed and repeatedly knocked her to the floor.

He repeatedly seized his victim by the hair, repeatedly struck her head off walls and the floor, repeatedly threw her across the room, pushed her from a bed to the floor, and repeatedly threw household items at her.

Patterson also repeatedly seized the woman by the neck and compressed it until her breathing was restricted and she was rendered unconscious. He also attempted to push her down a flight of stairs whereby she struck a wall.

All of this conduct was committed between July 1998 and June 2018, and was aggravated in the eyes of the law because the victim of the attacks was his partner.

Patterson was also found guilty of assaulting a 10-year-old girl in February 2014, when he seized her by the neck and compressed it and pinned her against a wall to her injury.

And in a third charge, between October 6, 2010 and June 30, 2018, he repeatedly shouted, swore and behaved in an aggressive manner, repeatedly threw household items, made abusive remarks to two children and to his partner, threw a birthday cake to the ground, and refused to allow his partner access to their property, placing all three in a state of fear and alarm.

A jury convicted Patterson on all three charges by majority verdicts after a five-day trial.

Sentencing had been deferred until Wednesday’s hearing to allow social workers time to prepare a background report on Patterson’s personal circumstances and his attitude to the offending.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Maxwell Hendry told Patterson: “These offences were those of a bully.

“It was abusive and utterly horrendous behaviour that no-one should have to go through.

“It was inevitable that custody was the only option.”

Patterson, who was listed in court papers as a resident of Lapsley Road, Paisley, was jailed for 27 months for the assaults on his ex-partner, six months for the attack on the girl, and 15 for the abusive behaviour.

The three sentences will run concurrently.

He was also made the subject of non-harassment orders which will prevent him approaching, contacting or attempting to approach or contact his victims for the next five years.