The estranged husband of former Clyde 1 DJ Suzie McGuire is facing jail after being convicted of a string of domestic assaults.

Derek Mitchell 35, left his wife feeling like a broken woman who even tried to commit suicide in March 2013 in a bid to escape a "life of terror ".

Mitchell drunkenly pulled his wife's wedding finger back - breaking it, in front of her terrified daughters.

In a rage at a military event that Miss McGuire was hosting, Mitchell grabbed his wife and pulled her away, calling her a slut.

The violent dad-of-two humiliated the DJ after she had hosted the Cash for Kids event and slapped her while she chatted with businessman Mike Ashley and even threw a punch at him.

After a three-week trial at Paisley Sheriff Court, the accountant from East Kilbride was today convicted of three assaults between May and December 2011. He lodged a special defence of self-defence in relation to the broken finger claiming he was trying to stop his wife attacking him, but the jury rejected this version of events.

Mitchell was also convicted of committing a breach of the peace in November 2009.

The former drivetime presenter gave evidence from behind screens at the court and described her husband as "controlling" and "manipulative".

Mitchell, she said, was a "prince charming that turned into a Jekyll and Hyde character" who had anger management issues and that she couldn't predict.

The 45-year-old said she was flattered when a younger man showed her attention and wanted a family - the same as she did - and claimed she repeatedly took him back despite being berated daily and assaulted by the man who claimed to love her.

She told the jury: "That's the embarrassing thing, I went back to that. I will never ever forgive myself for putting my children through that."

Miss McGuire said he had access to her bank account and allocated her money to spend, questioning her if she used her bank card.

She told the jury she was so "broken" in March last year, she went to an area behind Bonnyton Golf course and took 40 Paracetamol and a litre of vodka to end her life.

She said: "I don't recognise that person now because I would have left my children with no mum."

During her evidence she told defence lawyer Billy Lavelle: "I was actually a woman pushed to the limit.

"Beaten up, berated daily, I had nothing left to give."

She added: "I was absolutely hanging by a thread and that thread was gone."

The domestic abuse victim said she was told daily she was old, fat and ugly and nobody would want her, and eventually started to believe it.

Speaking about her suicide attempt she said: "It wasn't a cry for help, I took enough to kill myself to escape from a life of hell, a life of unpredictable vicious beating and torture in every way."

The court heard she had a panic button installed in her home only a month before Mitchell's trial.

She claimed another two assaults took place at her house in November 2009 and in a car park in December 2009, only months into their relationship but these charges were dropped during the trial and weren't put before the jury for consideration.

After their relationship came to an end in July 2013, Miss McGuire went to the police and reported her ordeal.

Months into their relationship in November 2009, Mitchell was arrested at Miss McGuire's cousin Jacqueline Miller's 40th birthday party at the Ivy Rooms in Ayr.

He slapped a man who compared Miss McGuire to singer Susan Boyle and later pled guilty at court - but was given an absolute discharge meaning he has no criminal record as a result.

The day after the party Miss McGuire phoned her cousin to apologise on his behalf of him. She phoned Mrs Miller back a second time later that day, terrified of Mitchell.

Mrs Miller gave evidence at the trial that her cousin told her Mitchell had been drinking most of the day.

Asked what Miss McGuire said during the phone call she said: "That she was terrified of him."

She claimed Miss McGuire kept saying "I'm so scared, I'm so scared".

Miss McGuire alleged Mitchell grabbed her by the throat during the incident before he left the house and she called the police.

In evidence she said she "played down" the incident and told police they had a minor argument.

The jury convicted him of breaching the peace.

During the trial Mitchell admitted slashing Miss McGuire's tyres and roof in April 2010 after reading in a newspaper she had an affair with former Celtic player Marc Crosas while they were together. Miss McGuire denied the allegation she had an affair or that she was in a relationship with Mitchell at the time. She added: "I didn't actually have a relationship with this individual but I was treated as though I had.

"Even if I had we were no longer together, it frightened me, that's when I started to think that I'm not going to get this violent individual out of my life."

Mitchell told how he was "devastated " when he read the article and lashed out but later phoned Miss McGuire and confessed what he did.

His dad, Robert Mitchell paid almost £5000 to have the damage repaired.

The first assault charge the jury convicted Mitchell of was an attack in May 2011 after the Eaglesham Fair.

Mitchell, Miss McGuire, her two girls and their son Oliver went to the local event with Mitchell's friend Kieran, but the men left the fair and went drinking.

Later when the fair was a wash-out and Miss McGuire was making her way home with the three children, a drunken Mitchell accosted her on Pulnoon Street, where the family home is.

Miss McGuire claimed he demanded car keys from her but she said no, worried because he'd been drinking and they struggled as Mitchell tried to wrestle them from her.

It was claimed pushed her against a wall and she cut her head while he said "give me the f****** keys" .

The jury convicted him of pulling back Miss McGuire's finger to her severe injury and permanent impairment.

She told the jury: "The girls were absolutely hysterical, I will never ever forget. Wee girls shouldn't see things like that. When they saw it it was like a horror film."

She claimed they don't talk about it or mention it but that it will have had an impact on them and said "nobody should see their mum being abused in such a fashion".

Miss McGuire said: "He broke my finger. He just grabbed it and bent it back as far as it would pretty much go."

Millie Ross, 10, and her sister Daisy, eight, gave evidence via video link that they saw Mitchell hurt their mum.

Millie told the court: "I knew he was hurting my mum and I wanted to say something but I was scared to do anything because I knew I was too young to say anything."

However, Mitchell claimed he left his friend and baby Oliver nearby in the Eglinton Arms Hotel and went to see his wife and the girls after the fair on their street.

He told the jury MIss McGuire was "furious" because he hadn't seen the girls dance at the fair and punched him twice on the head and he took hold of her hand to stop her from attacking him further - causing the broken finger.

Later that year in September 2011 while at a military event, Miss McGuire was humiliated in front of soldiers and veterans when Mitchell angrily grabbed her arm as she socialised.

Former Pop Idol winner and singer Michelle McManus told the jury her and the DJ had their pictures taken with people at the function.

She said: "I kind of stepped aside to make a phone call or send a text message myself. At that point I noticed Derek coming towards where we had been standing and he looked angry.

"He grabbed Suzie by the arm and said 'You're really embarrassing me'" Miss McManus claimed Mitchell also told his wife "You're behaving like a slut but then again you are slut". She told the court she was "quite taken aback".

Amanda Gallagher, prosecuting asked: "What was Susan Mitchell's reaction to what was said to her by Derek Mitchell?" The witness replied: "Nothing, there was absolutely no reaction which was the most baffling thing for me."

She also told the jury: "In my opinion it was almost like it was the norm."

Mitchell also allegedly dug his fingernails into his wife's hand as she sat talking at a table at the event - another assault Miss McManus claimed she witnessed but the jury cleared him of.

In evidence Miss McGuire said: "I just felt his hand on mine, just between my fingers. He dug his fingernails in really really hard, that was a sign for me basically to be quiet and not hold court."

The court heard a year later in September 2012, Miss McGuire broke down and told Miss McManus what had been going on in her and Mitchell's relationship.

In December 2011, after a Cash for Kids event at the Hilton Hotel - Miss McGuire and Mitchell went to 29 at Royal Exchange Square in Glasgow city centre for an after party.

Drunken Mitchell flew into a rage when his wife was cuddled by businessman Mike Ashley, and attacked her.

Miss McGuire told the court: "Derek lost it, really really turned very vicious and very nasty at that point. He slapped me across the face and bit me on the shoulder in front of company, in front of quite a lot of people."

She added: "Mike Ashley was standing right beside me - Derek actually tried to hit him."

Mitchell was put out of the club and callously walked away before going to the Corinthian, a nearby nightclub, where he continued drinking.

He was convicted of assaulting Miss McGuire by slapping her.

Miss McGuire told the jury of an alleged incident at Mitchell Street car park in Glasgow City centre after a day of shopping and lunch on Christmas Eve 2009.

They met friends for lunch at Princes Square in Glasgow, where an argument broke out about Celtic and Rangers. Miss McGuire claimed she left and made her way down Mitchell Lane where he chased after her.

She told the jury: "He said 'You're not going effing anywhere before I get my presents'. He tried to take the presents off me, grabbed me by the throat and lifted me up off my feet and bit my face."

She added: "He said 'I know where your car is parked I'm going to slash your tyres'."

Miss McGuire described running up the stairs of the car park and getting into her car and phoning the friend that had been with them and meeting her nearby while "in floods of tears".

Laura McConnachie, who met Miss McGuire for lunch gave evidence that she saw the former radio presenter in the car park.

Miss McConnachie said: "She had her hands over her throat and she was claiming she had been assaulted". She said Miss McGuire told her Mitchell had done it.

Miss McGuire went to Mitchell's dad's house after the alleged incident and told him what was supposed to have happened.

She said: "I felt dreadful I had to go with that news on Christmas Eve, it wasn't particularly pleasant for them to hear. He didn't seem at all surprised."

It was heard that she called the police and reported what allegedly happened and Mitchell was detained by police at his parents' house later that night - drunk and in his underwear.

In October 2013, Mitchell was detained by police at his work, smelling of booze, and appeared in court on October 28, in relation to a number of assaults.

Days later Miss McGuire reported Mitchell again when she saw him driving behind her on an East Kilbride road and he appeared in court for an alleged breach of bail.

He admitted finding himself driving behind his estranged wife while taking his children home to his flat, and said he pulled over to give Miss McGuire time to get away.

The breach of bail charge was also dropped by prosecutors during the trial and the sheriff ordered that the jury return a not-guilty verdict.

In evidence Mitchell claimed he was the victim of domestic abuse, alleging his wife was the violent one.

He claimed she attacked him on a number occasions including at Cameron House hotel while he slept when broke a rib and gave him two black eyes.

He also claimed he was attacked at their home in December 2012.

The defence invited the jury to believe Miss McGuire reported Mitchell to the police after they split in July 2013 because she "no longer" had any leverage over him regarding the charges against her.

Sheriff Susan Sinclair deferred sentence until next month and continued Mitchell's bail.