A VIOLENT thug booted open a locked bathroom door and assaulted his terrified and cowering partner.

James McNab flew into a rage just because the woman asked him to leave her house.

McNab, 27 — who has a string of domestic abuse and assault convictions — was so menacing as he hurled a torrent of foul-mouthed insults that she was forced to flee and barricade herself in the toilet.

He is now beginning a six-month prison sentence and has been made subject to a non-harassment order to protect the woman he injured from any further attacks.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard how McNab had been in a four-month 'on-off' relationship with the woman when he attacked her on the afternoon of November 25 last year.

Prosecutor Amy Spencer said: "At 2pm the witness asked the accused to leave as she had to go an pick up her daughter.

"He became aggressive and began to shout and bawl.

"The witness said that she was going to phone the police and the accused then swore in shouting, 'I'll give you a reason to phone them'.

"Believing this to be a threat of violence, the witness locked herself in the bathroom and dialled 999, however, she hung up the call."

Fiscal depute Miss Spencer added: "She was crouched between the floor and the sink to record the accused banging on the bathroom door.

"The accused shouted a swear word repeatedly before kicking in the locked door.

"He entered the bathroom and found the witness hiding within in a crouched position.

"The accused approached her, grabbed her arm and dragged her from the floor, banging her off bathroom furniture in doing so which resulted in bruising and grazing to her right elbow."

The court heard how after McNab fled his victim showed her mobile phone footage of him to her 'horrified' cousin who immediately called the police.

Officers later listened in to the dropped 999 all that could be heard was McNab shouting his vile abuse.

Miss Spencer said: "I am seeking on behalf of the complainer a non-harassment order for her longer term safety."

McNab was convicted in 2015 after repeatedly punching a man over a £10 and telling him: "You can't bump McNab."

He also admitted in 2016 to assaulting his then girlfriend to injury.

Defence lawyer Ellen Macdonald south to have her client placed on pilot domestic abuse project with a two-year duration period.

Ms Macdonald said: "This would allow Mr McNab to deal with the issues he has.

"He has had his own tenancy for five years and he could be managed in the community."

Sheriff Derek Hamilton noted that McNab has previous domestically aggravated offences from 2013 and 2016, and also two assaults — one of which was to injury — in 2014 and 2015.

In imposing the six-month jail term, the sheriff said: "Domestic violence has no place in society."