A jealous man tried to strangle his terrified partner, screaming that he was going to kill her as she gasped for breath.
The woman had earlier dialled 999 while hiding in the kitchen.
Twenty-year-old Christopher Robertson was due to stand trial by jury at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday, but pled guilty to an amended charge.
The first offender admitted assaulting his partner at the flat they shared in North Street, Peebles, on May 19, straddling her body while she was on the ground, restricting her breathing by placing his hand around her neck and threatening to kill her.
Robertson was said to have been jealous of the victim’s behaviour with a friend who had been drinking with them earlier, although the relationship between the couple – who have a young baby – was described as “quite fractious”.
Prosecutor Tessa Bradley told how Robertson and his girlfriend, who was 17 years old at the time, lived with their then nine-month-old child.
“In the run-up to this incident, the relationship had deteriorated as neither was working and both were at home most of the day with a young baby,” she explained.
On the Saturday night (May 18) a friend visited the flat and all three were socialising.
“They had all consumed alcohol, though not to excess,” continued Ms Bradley.
The man who was visiting left at about 1.30am.
The prosecutor told the court: “Shortly after he left the accused became jealous of the way she had been behaving with this man, calling her a whore.”
Robertson then picked up the baby, who started crying, and his girlfriend pleaded with him to put the child down and she took him back to his cot.
The woman tried to avoid the accused as his mood was deteriorating.
Ms Bradley went on: “She hid in the kitchen and dialled 999.
“She ended up on the floor and he straddled her with his knees and grabbed her tightly by the throat and squeezed, causing her to gasp for breath. She estimated this strangulation lasted for about 30 seconds, during which time he was screaming ‘I’m going to kill you’.
“In the course of this he slapped her to the head and she managed to push her fingers into his eyes and push him away. She escaped and took refuge in the bathroom.”
Police officers, responding to the earlier call, arrived to find the woman in a distressed state.
Ms Bradley told the hearing: “She said the accused had strangled her and she was struggling to breathe, and she required an inhaler. Her eyes were bloodshot and there was bruising to her neck, and there were signs of trauma consistent with the alleged assault.”
An ambulance was called and after being assessed by paramedics, the woman declined any further treatment.
Robertson told police there had been a verbal argument and they had been pushing each other.
His solicitor, Robert More, said Robertson had been on bail since last May, with conditions not to contact the complainer or to enter North Street in Peebles, and had abided by those conditions.
He added: “Quite sadly, we have two young people with a young child who have struggled to cope, and the relationship had become quite fractious.”
Mr More reserved his plea in mitigation until reports had been prepared.
The accused was released on bail and will be sentenced at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on May 2.