A thug made his girlfriend sleep in a cupboard before launching a brutal attack on her in which he ripped her earring out and dragged her by the hair.
John Pickard, 26, from Middlesbrough, punched and kicked his partner before pouring juice over her head and ordering her to clean it up for staying out late.
After knocking her around leaving her severely bruised, Pickard has been jailed, Gazette Live reports.
He also locked her out of their flat. She had to sleep in a cupboard in the communal area for several hours before Pickard let her back in.
Prosecutor Victoria Barker said the woman went to bed, but late in the morning she received a text from a friend and Pickard wrenched the phone from her.
“He started shouting at her, accusing her of being unfaithful,” said Ms Barker.
“He pushed her down, grabbed hold of her hair and punched her on the head.
“The victim’s earring was ripped out, causing her ear to bleed. He was pulling her across the bed by her hair and pulled her around the bedroom.
“He was stood over her, punching her twice to the head and kicking her three or four times to the body.”
Pickard then picked up a pint glass containing half a pint of diluted juice and poured it over her head, before ordering her to “clean yourself up”.
The woman called police who arrived to arrest Pickard, who had been violent to his partner in the past.
She suffered a cut to her ear and severe bruising to her leg, ribs and torso.
After making bail, on condition he didn’t contact her again, he called her and sent text messages within one week’s time, threatening her to drop the charges, saying he’ll “never speak to her again until she dropped the charges”.
He demanded “evidence” of this and when it did not arrive, he sent her another text warning her: “If you get me jailed, I’m going to get you killed.”
Pickard, lately of Brotton, was arrested again and charged with assault by beating and witness intimidation, which he admitted.
Judge Paul Batty QC questioned why Packard had only been charged with common assault rather than ABH and demanded a written explanation from the Crown Prosecution Service.
The victim, a former pub and restaurant manager, said that during their two-year relationship Packard had been “controlling, had jealous tendencies” and made her give up her jobs.
“Towards the end of the relationship, she said she wasn’t allowed to see her friends or family and was only allowed out for three hours at a time to see her mother,” added Ms Barker.
Ms Barker said that on the night in question, March 2, the victim had gone out with her sisters and was told by Pickard to return no later than 11pm. She returned at 1am and was locked out of the flat.
Packard has 10 previous convictions for 20 offences including assaulting a police officer in 2014.
Defence barrister Taryn Turner said the father-of-one planned to return to Middlesbrough when he was released from prison.
Judge Paul Batty QC said the “extremely” vicious attack had had a “profound” effect on the victim and told Pickard: “You are fortunate indeed that you have been charged with common assault.”
Jailing Pickard for a total of three years, Mr Batty said: “My powers of sentence are woefully inadequate. This should be ABH.”
The judge also made a 10-year restraining order banning Pickard from approaching or contacting the victim.
The victim should look into a victims group for support, because it will take a long time for her to feel normal again.
Read more at the Mirror