A man hit his ex-partner in the head with a glass, bit her and dislocated her ribs during a violent attack that left her covered in blood.
David James Francis carried out the assault on the woman on March 8 this year after she woke him up and accused him of cheating on her. The 36-year-old punched her around 10 times in the face, before kicking and punching her after she slipped on her own blood and fell to the floor. On February 2, last year, Francis also carried out an attack on two police officers and bit them after they turned up to arrest him following reports he was acting "erratically" and trying to get in to passing cars outside Bishop Auckland Hospital.
Francis, of Elm Terrace, Bishop Auckland, appeared at Durham Crown Court via link from HMP Durham, to be sentenced for unlawful wounding and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker. He had pleaded guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.
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Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said at around 10pm on March 8, Francis and the woman - who were in a relationship at the time - were at her County Durham home after drinking alcohol and taking tablets. He said: "The defendant was asleep when the complainant found messages on his phone which suggested he was cheating. She woke him up and they then argued. He punched her approximately 10 times in the face and she called 999."
But Francis continued his violent attack when the woman removed his lager from the fridge. Mr Newcombe said: "He struck her on the back of the head with a drinks glass. Blood was dripping to the floor and she slipped and fell. He then kicked her in the leg and punched her in the ribs. He also bit her right arm as she screamed at him."
The court heard that Francis delivered one more punch before leaving. The woman sustained fractures to two of her right ribs as well as suffering dislocation to others, Mr Newcombe said. She also sustained a punctured lung and was taken to hospital to receive treatment to her rib injuries, as well as lacerations to her mouth and multiple bruises. Francis carried out the attack while still serving a suspended prison sentence which had been imposed in 2020 for dangerous driving that saw him smash into a wall.
Mr Newcombe said that Francis was also to be sentenced for biting two police officers on February 2, last year, on Cockton Hill Road. Police were called to the road shortly before midnight after reports Francis was "behaving erratically, threatening members of the public and trying to get into passing cars". He said when police arrived he threatened to "kick off" before biting two officers who attempted to arrest him. No injury was caused and Francis said he had no recollection of the offence after drinking a bottle of gin.
Jessica Slaughter, mitigating, said Francis has had issues with drugs and alcohol in the past and has "significant health and mobility issues" following the incident where he crashed into a wall. She said: "He is a man who is suffering from chronic pain" and is "keen to stay away from drugs now". She said he was in a "very distressed state" when he assaulted the police officers. She added that the former relationship he was in with the woman he attacked was "toxic" and needed to end.
Judge James Adkin, the Recorder of Durham, jailed Francis for 49 months and imposed a 10 year restraining order, banning contact with his ex-partner.
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