A Rosyth man downed a litre of vodka before launching a “particularly foul” attack on his partner.

James Algie smothered the woman with a cushion then threatened her with a knife, shouting he was going to cut her throat.

She managed to break free, call police and flee out of a window.

Algie, 55, of Elder Place, previously admitted that on February 20 last year at his home he assaulted his partner.

The victim was spending the night at Algie’s home, Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard.

He pushed her on the body causing her to fall on to a couch, placed his hands over her mouth and put a cushion over her face, restricting her breathing.

He seized a knife, pushed her to the ground and brandished the knife in an aggressive manner, uttered threats of violence and repeatedly ran the blade along her body, causing damage to her trousers, all to her injury.

The couple had been together 28 years ago, split up then rekindled the relationship two years ago.

They had been on a night out in Inverkeithing before the incident and both were drinking alcohol.

But after an argument between them in the pub Algie went home in a taxi.

She went back there later and found the front door was locked.

When Algie answered the door she saw he had packed her bag and it was lying in the hallway.

When she went into the house he pushed her on to a couch and neighbours heard her shouting “Leave me alone. Get off me.”

He then put a cushion over her face until she managed to fight him off.

Algie then went to the kitchen and grabbed a steak knife. He pushed her to the ground and was holding the knife saying, “You’re not leaving. I’m going to cut your throat and my throat.”

He then cut her leggings with the knife and ran the blade along her leg before putting the knife against his own throat.

The victim managed to break free, called 999 and exited through a window.

The woman received multiple bruises and was left with two bumps on her head.

Defence solicitor John Bain said his client was now single and unemployed since losing his taxi licence as a result of this incident.

“He consumed around a litre of vodka that night. He has no recollection,” added the solicitor.

Sheriff Craig McSherry, having seen the photographs of the victim’s injuries, said at the previous hearing that "this was a particularly foul assault” and warned Algie he could face a jail sentence.

However, as an alternative, the sheriff imposed a community payback order with 300 hours of unpaid work and a six-month restriction of liberty order.