Scots gangster who once gored rival's groin with drill back behind bars after 5 year reign of terror -

A MANIAC gangster who once gored a rival in the groin with a drill has been jailed over a sickening, five-year campaign of domestic violence.

Robert Kirkwood, 37, was ordered to serve eight years behind bars for physically and sexually abusing his partner.

The brute — who attacked slain hood Kevin ‘Gerbil’ Carroll’s pal James Hanlon with the power tool — even threatened he’d pay someone to hurl acid into the woman’s face, the High Court in Glasgow was told.

Kirkwood’s trial heard he carried out “appalling acts of bullying”, including controlling her contacts and calling her vile names.

His KC Thomas Ross put to the thug: “One thing she said is that you threatened you’d ‘pay a junkie’ to throw acid in her face.”

But he replied: “I’ve never said that to anyone, never mind her.”

Prosecutor Richard Goddard KC showed Kirkwood photos of the injured woman and suggested she was “beat up” as “routine”.

But defiant Kirkwood claimed that if a 16-stone, muscle-bound man like him had carried out the assaults, the woman would have been more badly hurt.

Kirkwood claimed his victim had set him up and other injuries could have been caused by “rough sex” or being accidentally hit with a toy.

In evidence, the fiend also alleged the woman’s friends had tried to steer her away from him as he was apparently “a gangster”.

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But he said he lavished her with expensive gifts, including Rolex watches and five-star holidays.

Despite his claims, the jury found him guilty of abuse between 2015 and 2020 at addresses in Lanarkshire.

Sentencing, judge Lord Scott told Kirkwood he must also serve 1,400 days from a previous jail stretch from which he was freed early, adding: “Bit by bit you took control of this woman’s life.”

He was put on the sex offenders list and banned from contacting his victim.

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