A TROON man who subjected his partner to a seven-month campaign of "appalling" abuse in Largs has avoided jail.

Daniel Nelson was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to a pair of offences against his then-partner.

It's the second time Nelson has been convicted of domestic abuse charges.

The first saw him placed on a community payback order (CPO) - but despite the similar nature of the latest offences, he was again spared a prison sentence.

However, a sheriff warned Nelson that jail would be considered if he commits any more offences.

The previous order saw Nelson ordered to take part in the Caledonian System programme - an initiative aimed at addressing the behaviour of domestic abusers.

This time Nelson, of Adlington Gardens, Troon, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards his then partner at their then home in Largs on October 17 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to "engaging in a course of abusive behaviour" towards the same woman between October 17, 2022 and May 27 of this year at the same address.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard Nelson and his victim had been in a relationship since April 2022.

The procurator fiscal depute said Nelson's behaviour had begun to change towards the end of 2022, and that he would repeatedly call her derogatory names such as “b***h” “s**g” and a “bad mum” before apologising.

The court heard that the victim noticed items around the house would become damaged, and that Nelson was often drinking alcohol to excess until he would "pass out".

The fiscal said Nelson would often throw bottles around the house, and on one occasion damaged a TV screen while doing so.

Sheriff Laura Mundell was told that Nelson would later become more aggressive, specifically towards his former partner when she challenged his drinking.

On one occasion he reacted by throwing a tape measure towards her, which missed and hit a wall.

He also often tried to trip the woman as she walked around their home, with the prosecutor describing two incidents which caused her to fall, witnessed by a child.

During one argument about his drinking, Nelson pushed the woman, causing her to fall against a kitchen cupboard.

The court was told a non-harassment order (NHO) was already in place preventing Nelson from having any contact with his victim - who, the fiscal said, wanted to have the order extended to include a child.

Nelson's solicitor said there had been no face-to-face contact between Nelson and the child in recent times, and asked the sheriff not to extend the NHO and to allow him to "show his behaviour was just one series of bad behaviour”.

Sheriff Mundell said: "The catalogue of domestic abuse is nothing short of appalling.”

But she deferred sentence for Nelson to be of good behaviour and to allow him to continue on his existing CPO.

She said: "I think it is in the best interest for you, the wider community and any future relationships that you comply with that [Caledonian System] programme.

“If there is any other offending on your part, or you do not co-operate fully with the order, a custodial sentence will be considered.”