A man who was ‘off his head’ on booze and cocaine broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home armed with a knife. He then smeared blood on the walls before attacking two police officers.
Aaron Eaton, 32, and his former partner had split up following a five-year relationship but he was ‘jealous and unhappy’ at it coming to an end.
Following a night out with her cousin on December 18 last year, the woman asked him to stay over as she was scared after receiving abusive messages from Eaton. Whilst she was getting changed she heard glass smashing and went downstairs to find he had broken in and a large knife was on the floor.
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“She shouted at him to leave and asked her cousin to call the police,” prosecutor Julian King told Minshull Street Crown Court.
“He was shouting at her asking who she was with. He took her phone and looked through it before grabbing her face, squeezing it and trying to kiss her. He told her to tell him the truth so he would not hurt her.”
The woman noticed the large, black handled knife in her daughter’s bedroom. Luckily her children were not at home at the time.
Eaton’s hands were covered in blood, which was ‘going everywhere’, the woman said. She said it was the ‘most traumatic 10 minutes of her life’.
Two police officers arrived to arrest Eaton, to find blood in every room in the woman’s flat, along with bloody handprints on the walls. He asked the woman “why have you done that” upon seeing the officers, as they tried to calm him down and put him in handcuffs.
He struggled against them before running across the car park outside the flat which was slippy due to the weather.
They were forced to restrain him on the floor as he continued kicking out. At one stage he flicked his bloody fingers at them, spraying blood over their faces and uniforms. One of the officers said the blood hit her in the mouth.
Eaton continued to resist, telling officers he had brain damage and COVID, and they had to call for backup. He also pulled them to the floor during the struggle. When backup arrived he was eventually handcuffed and arrested.
He later denied the offences, but following a search of his phone, detectives found messages between Eaton and his sister where he made it clear he was intending to go to his former partner’s house despite her warning him against doing so.
In a statement, the woman said it was the most traumatic 10 minutes of her life. She said that she was in genuine fear adding: “Nobody should be made to feel that fear."
Eaton was said to have nine previous convictions for 16 offences.
Defending, Simon Blakebrough said his client had suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2009 and as a result it could affect his cognitive behaviour and problem solving skills.
However, he said a psychiatrist concluded that there was limited evidence to suggest the injury impacted his behaviour in December last year.
“He told a probation officer he was ‘off his head’ on drink and drugs,” Mr Blakebrough said.
“He was on bail following these offences but breached that bail by Facebook contact and was remanded into custody on December 28. He is deeply ashamed and remorseful for what he has done and apologises not just to his former partner but also to the two police officers.”
Sentencing, District Judge Sarah-Jane Griffiths said: “No doubt she was absolutely terrified. She was in her own home where she should feel safe.
“I am prepared to accept there is some remorse but I do have some doubt of the extent of that, and the reason for that is based on what you told the probation officer when you tried to justify and minimise your behaviour.”
Eaton, of Dearne Drive, Stretford, was jailed for 22 months after pleading guilty to criminal damage, possession of a knife, common assault and assault of an emergency worker. He was also made the subject of a restraining order indefinitely.
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