A SERIAL offender has been given more time behind bars after admitting a charge of assaulting his former partner.

Prolific criminal Derek Logan pleaded guilty to two charges, including punching his ex and choking her, and was sentenced at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.

The 45-year-old, who appeared in the dock from custody having been on remand since November, had been in a relationship with the victim for around six months at the time of the latest incident.

The court was told that on the evening of November 15, 2022 the woman was in Logan's home in Milton Road, Kilbirnie when he returned home under the influence.

An argument ensued and continued into the next day, the procurator fiscal depute told the hearing, with a neighbour becoming aware of an ongoing disturbance after hearing banging and thumping from next door.

The fiscal depute said: "At around 3am, police at Kilbirnie police office heard knocking at the rear door.

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"Officers answered it to the witness and observed her to have a facial injury.

"She said: 'He needs arrested. He has battered me. He has tried to choke me.'"

Logan was later arrested at his home for assault.

Defence solicitor Brian Holliman said his client had been on remand at HMP Kilmarnock for 14 weeks since the offence.

Court papers revealed Logan, who has previously spent time in jail, has racked up more than 25 convictions since committing his first offence - theft by housebreaking - in 1994, for which he was sentenced to three months in a young offenders institution.

Mr Holliman said: "On November 15, the complainer had gone to his home uninvited as was usual practice. She walked in because the property was unlocked.

"Both were heavily under the influence.

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"He tried to get her to leave but it quickly became apparent she was not prepared to do so.

"Things escalated. At one point he got her out of the flat but she immediately found her way back in.

"The relationship is at an end and there is no prospect of any reconciliation."

The assault charge stated that Logan punched the victim to the head and body, seized her by the body, placed his hands around her neck and compressed it, seized her by her hair and dragged her, all to her injury.

Sheriff George Jamieson sentenced him to 120 days in prison, backdated to November 17.

A 12-month non-harassment order was also imposed and Logan was fined £150 for possession of heroin after a small bag of brown powder was discovered on him at Saltcoats police office.