A man whose partner told him their relationship was over asked for one last hug moments before he stabbed her repeatedly.

Gordon Ayre, 54, attacked Mariana Mreana with a knife after she told him on August 2 that she no longer wanted to be with him then stabbed himself.

The pair, who had been with each other for seven years, worked together at the Select Wallpaper store on Ainslie Street in Dundee.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Ms Mreana was wearing eight layers of clothing at the time of the assault in the shop.

She was wearing so many clothes as she did not want to go home with Ayre to collect her belongings following the break-up.

After Ayre's attack, Ms Mreana was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where she was treated for stab wounds to her chest, abdomen and arm.

Ayre, a prisoner of HMP Perth with no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Ms Mreana to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of her life.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching bail by sending text messages to her on August 24.

On Thursday, prosecution lawyer Sean Smith QC told judge Lord Woolman of the circumstances that led to the stabbing.

He said: "The complainer and the accused had been in a relationship for about seven years. By July 2017, the complainer had decided she wanted to end the relationship as she craved more independence.

"She began to take some of her belongings from the home she shared with the accused to work, hiding these under the desk of a colleague.

"Towards the end of the working day on Wednesday, August 2, 2017, the complainer informed the accused that their relationship was over."

He added: "The accused asked the complainer for one last hug before striking her repeatedly on the body with a knife penetrating her breast and abdomen.

"The complainer attempted to defend herself, pleading with the accused to stop.

"However, the accused continued the attack and had to be pulled off the complainer by others. Thereafter, the accused repeatedly struck himself on the body with the knife.

"The accused ran from the locus immediately after the attack but he returned shortly thereafter surrendering himself to police officers.

"In view of his condition, he was treated firstly on the scene by paramedics and thereafter in hospital."

Mr Smith then told Lord Woolman that Ayre appeared in court in connection with the stabbing and was granted bail on August 18, 2017, with the condition he did not contact Ms Mreana.

Ayre breached the order by sending his former partner texts.

The court heard Ayre was also detained at a Perth-based psychiatric facility in September 2017, where staff assessed his mental health. He was later returned to prison.

Lord Woolman deferred sentence for the court to obtain reports about Ayre's character.

He will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on January 11.