A woman whose former lover gouged out her eyeball out and threw it over an eighth-floor balcony has told STV News that she has been given a "life sentence" following the horror attack.

Francis Murphy was jailed for 12 years on Friday after he was earlier found guilty of attempting to murder Natalie Farrell, 28, in a horror attack in Dundee's Dalfield Court in May.

A three-day trial at the High Court in Edinburgh was told that Murphy used a metal hook on a coathanger to try to pull her eye out, before using his fingers to extract it and hurling it over the balcony.

A judge told him his crime was "almost medieval in its barbarity".

Natalie - pictured above standing on the balcony where Murphy tried to throw her to her death - told STV News that she was "surprised" at the lengthy jail term handed to Murphy - but that "nothing could bring her eye back".

She said: "Compared to other sentences people get he got longer than some people who actually murder someone get. But he's left me with a life sentence.

"It was just typical Frank - on the drink and he took it too far.

Click here to watch an extended interview with Natalie Farrell.

"I wasn't in pain until I woke up in the hospital - it just happened that quick.

"I heard him saying 'I'm taking your eye out' - but I didn't think he would have done it.

"He tried to use a metal coat hanger but I got that off him so he used his fingers.  I can still feel the pressure of his thumb in the corner of my eye.

"I didn't know I'd lost my eye but I knew that there was blood coming from my eye socket.

"It wasn't until I was in the ambulance that one of my friends came with my eye to the paramedics and asked if they could save it.

"When it first happened I used to have bad nightmares and would hide stuff around the house in case he came back."

Murphy had denied attempted murder - but admitted assaulting Ms Farrell on May 6 this year.  However, a jury by majority found Murphy guilty of attempted murder.

Solicitor advocate Iain Paterson, defending Murphy at his sentencing on Friday, said: "His emotions became entangled as a consequence of drink, drugs and, I suppose, depravity too.

"All these things together led him to undertake an action it is difficult for any individual to come to terms with and he's going to have to sit in a prison cell for a number of years and take stock of what he's done."

Passing sentence, temporary Judge John Morris QC said: "You have been found guilty of crimes which are almost medieval in their barbarity which would make any right-thinking person recoil in horror. Only a substantial prison sentence would be appropriate."