JUST before 11am last Monday Nikolas Pirrie posted on his Facebook page, “I think I might murder the next person who says they love me and leaves”. Twelve hours later he was dead, by his own hand, having tried to put his thought into action.

Pirrie had come out of Bowhouse prison in Kilmarnock just over two weeks before, where he had been serving a sentence for assaulting his 20-year-old partner and two former lovers. He had also been in trouble over Class B drug dealing, previous violence and handling weapons. He was 28, ginger haired, lightly-bearded, heavily tattooed, including depictions of film characters The Joker and Hellboy. One, on the back of his neck, read “Pain is Temporary Pride is Forever.

He was also the father of two boys, the second aged eight months with his now estranged partner who, for legal reasons, we are calling Crystal. She was living with the baby in a house in Irvine, Ayrshire. Around 8pm on Monday Pirrie arrived at the house and, in a prolonged assault beat her repeatedly and brutally raped her. It is understood that while she was unconscious or dazed he hanged himself and that she attempted to cut him down before calling the police in a hysterical state.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police were called to an address in Irvine on Monday August 6 at 11pm following reports of an incident. Emergency services attended and the body of a 28-year-old man was found within. There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

The spokesperson added: “A 20-year-old woman was found with injuries and taken to hospital for treatment. An allegation of serious sexual assault was made and inquiries into this are continuing, however we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this.”

Had Pirrie survived he would almost certainly have been charged with rape and attempted murder.

Facebook posts from Pirrie’s last day on earth make it plain that he was mulling over suicide. One reads, in part: “Thank you for the friend I made. Please watch over her as you watched over me. Thank you for finally allowing me to rest. I am so very tired. But I go now to my rest at peace ... knowing that I have done right with my time on this earth.”

Another captions a coffin being lowered into a grave with his words: “When I die I want all my ex’s [sic] to lower me into my grave so they can let me down one more time.”

News of Pirrie’s death set loose a flurry of messages on social media, most saying what a wonderful person he had been – such as “... Niko Guy was one in a million and loved by many many more ...” – until a friend of Crystal’s put up a picture of her and the injuries she had sustained, provoking a stream of disgusting outbursts. “... so what he lifts his hands to her so he deserves to die?” wrote a Collette Barbour, “not being funny but she probably deserved it vile wee bitch goes on as if butter wouldn’t melt, she gave as good as she got.”

A later post by the same person includes “... these people are defending the same girl who encouraged her boyfriend to commit suicide when he was crying out for help ... Personally think the girl deserves what ever she got the beating for if that’s the case.”

Crystal stayed in Crosshouse Hospital for several days but is now out. According to friends she is concerned about her safety, given the level of hostility expressed on social media. She is believed to be sheltering in a refuge.