Man stabs wife after killing pet

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A man has admitted stabbing his ex-wife with a screwdriver in front of their children after killing the family pet.

Maqsood Asghar, 36, slaughtered the pet rabbit in front of Yasmin Asghar and told her the same would happen to her.

Two weeks later, he arrived at her home brandishing screwdrivers and stabbed her in the neck and back.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court Asghar pled guilty to assaulting and injuring Mrs Asghar by striking her in the neck and body with a screwdriver.

He was remanded in custody until he is sentenced next month after psychiatric reports are prepared.

The court was told Mrs Asghar had moved to the west of Scotland after splitting from her husband.

The accused cornered her, raised the screwdriver and thrust it at her head John CookFiscal depute

The couple then rekindled their relationship after she moved back to Edinburgh and had a third child together.

However, in the weeks leading up to the attack, Asghar was described as "erratic and unpredictable" and was drinking heavily.

At about 0600 BST on 12 May he walked into the house in Saughton Mains Place and asked one of the children where their mother was.

When the child was too frightened to speak, Asghar began searching the house while making threats with the screwdriver raised above his head.

Mrs Asghar tried to run out of the back but was followed by her ex-husband.

"The accused cornered her, raised the screwdriver and thrust it at her head," said fiscal depute John Cook.

"He struck (Mrs Asghar) to the back of her neck before thrusting the screwdriver towards her, hitting her on the back."

Compulsive behaviour

One of the couple's children called the police, who arrived to find Asghar intoxicated.

He denied having been at the house and claimed his former wife had inflicted the injuries on herself.

He later admitted he had been drinking vodka all day and had been to see a psychiatric nurse.

Mrs Asghar suffered puncture wounds to her neck and back and is now afraid of her ex-husband being released, Mr Cook added.

Leanne McQuillan, defending, said Asghar had a history of psychiatric problems, including obsessive compulsive behaviour and bi-polar disorder, which were made worse by his drinking.

Sheriff Kathrine Mackie refused to grant bail in view of Asghar's "unpredictable" behaviour, adding: "It would seem to me that a psychiatric report is required".