A THUG carried out a brutal and unprovoked murder bid on his heavily pregnant fiancee.

Martin McLaren repeatedly stabbed the woman leaving her with life-threatening injuries.

The 31-year-old - a first offender with no history of violence - had earlier smoked what he thought was cannabis, but turned out to be something more "potent".

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McLaren also attacked a neighbour, who he had initially gone to for help.

McLaren pleaded guilty to attempting to murder the woman at their then home in East Kilbride on September 28, 2020.

He will be sentenced next month.

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The High Court in Glasgow heard how the couple had been together for six years and were engaged to be married.

The woman was also 29 weeks pregnant at the time.

Prosecutor Nicola Gilchrist said: "This incident occurred without any provocation.

"McLaren caused significant and life-threatening injuries to the woman.

"They could easily have resulted in her death."

The woman was lying on their bed around 9pm that night when McLaren came in clutching a kitchen knife.

He was said to have a "vacant expression" and mumbling to himself.

She went to leave the room, but McLaren blocked her.

Miss Gilchrist said: "He thereafter attacked her with the knife repeatedly stabbing her on the body until she was able to take hold of the weapon in her hands."

McLaren - who also bit his fiancee - walked out but returned claiming to have had a "bad dream".

The blood-soaked victim pleaded for him to get help.

He went to the door of neighbours Dominic and Sharon McGarry.

Wearing just a towel on his bottom half, he stated: "Dom, can I use your phone? I need to phone an ambulance. She has had an accident."

Sharon McGarry feared this was to do with the pregnancy and raced over to help.

McLaren stated: "Just follow the blood."

Mrs McGarry discovered the pale and stricken victim and also a knife on the floor.

McLaren meantime remained at his neighbours and was bizarrely seen drinking or snorting from a bottle of make-up face oil.

He told Mr McGarry: "You don't want to be with me right now."

McLaren then repeatedly punched and also kicked the man, who curled up on the floor as the blows were being delivered.

Other neighbours went to help the woman as the emergency services also arrived.

She stated at one stage: "Martin smoked something tonight for the first time and he stabbed me."

McLaren was eventually arrested. He claimed to have taken "weed".

McLaren also said: "I do not know why I stabbed her. I threw the knife away in the house after I stabbed her."

Miss Gilchrist said the victim suffered "multiple" injuries including wounds to her chest, shoulder, stomach and leg.

She had collapsed lungs and needed a blood transfusion as a result of the attack.

The woman - who has been scarred for life - almost lost her right thumb and needed specialist hand surgery.

One medic stated he does not think she will ever be "the same person physically or mentally".

The court heard she has fortunately since given birth.

Neighbour Mr McGarry meantime suffered a perforated eardrum after being attacked.

McLaren, now of Larkhall, pleaded guilty to assaulting him to his severe injury.

Iain McSporran, defending, said McLaren was "horrified" by what happened.

The KC added: "He smoked what he understood was cannabis, but in retrospect must have been something more potent.

"The effect is something that he had never experienced before - drawing him to the conclusion that it was not merely cannabis.

"That is the only explanation he can offer for this wholly out of character and dreadful incident."

Lady Rae withdrew his bail and remanded him in custody. Sentencing was deferred for reports.