A businessman strangled his partner with a wet towel during an eight-year campaign of domestic abuse.

Frankie "Donuts" Donaldson, of Possilpark, pleaded guilty to a string of attacks at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday.

The 58-year-old admitted assaults on his long-term partner Jane Clarke spanning almost a decade.

Donaldson hit his partner with a wet towel before strangling her with it one morning, and threw a dumbbell at her, hitting a nearby wall.

On another occasion, a child in the house was so concerned he hit Donaldson with a lamp in a bid stop him smacking Ms Clarke on the face with a car key.

He punched Ms Clarke's sister Elizabeth Harrison in a rage and threw her out of their house one day because she tried to get his partner to leave with her.

Donaldson threatened to throw Mrs Harrison out of a first floor window at a later date because he thought she was interested in business that was not hers.

A large-scale domestic probe into Donaldson took place after he was reported to police in 2013. It uncovered years of violence.

Donaldson guilty to nine charges of assault, seven relating to attacks on Ms Clarke between January 2005 and June 2013.

The other two involved Mrs Harrison in March 2001 and October 2004.

Procurator fiscal depute Harry Findlay told the court Donaldson and Ms Clarke lived together during their 22-year relationship.

The first attack was at an address in Chryston, North Lanarkshire, between 2005 and 2006 when Donaldson got out of the shower one morning and began to shout.

Mr Findlay said: "Donaldson had in his hand a wet towel and struck Miss Clarke on the body with it.

"The accused then wrapped the towel round Miss Clarke's neck and pulled it tight, such that it restricted her breathing. She did not pass out."

She had red marks on her neck and was "distressed" by the attack.

The court heard of an incident between 2009 and 2010 when the couple argued and Donaldson assaulted Ms Clarke at their house in Torrance, East Dunbartonshire.

The court was told: "She recalls ending up on the floor and the accused straddling her to prevent her moving.

"Donaldson repeatedly struck her on the head with a key causing a small cut. Ms Clarke was shouting at the accused asking her to stop."

A child in the house at the time and was "concerned" and "struck the accused with a lamp".

Other incidents of being pulled from a bed, held by the throat, punched, pulled by the ears and hit with a mobile phone and remote control were narrated to the court.

Sheriff Joan Kerr deferred sentence for reports and continued Donaldson's bail after being told he has not breached his order put in place three years ago.

Last year, there was two days of evidence at the court when Donaldson started proceedings to sue Ms Clarke for £1m relating to a chain of nurseries.

He claimed he helped fund the business Hyde 'n' Seek when it started in 2001 and was owed money.

The matter has since been resolved.