A twisted thug told his girlfriend she was going to die and ordered her to choose the weapon to be killed with.
During the frightening attack, David Sedleckas jabbed the woman with a drugs needle and threatened to stab both her eyes with it. He then told her to choose between the hammer and a knife he was holding in his other hand.
Sedleckas, 49, of Avenham Road, Preston, has been jailed for nine and a half years after a judge said he posed a danger to women.
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Preston Crown Court heard on December 20 that Sedleckas had been in a relationship with the woman for around 10 months before the attack in February of this year. The woman, also a drug addict, was small and frail, compared to Sedleckas' larger, more powerful physique, Recorder Kevin Slack said.
On February 27, Sedleckas left the flat they shared and returned in a bad mood. He started arguing with the woman, who was playing Xbox in the bedroom. He punched her twice, knocking her to the floor, but Recorder Slack said: "That was just the prelude to a vicious and terrifying attack."
Sedleckas picked up a needle from the bedroom floor and threatened to stab the woman in both her eyes, before jabbing it into her arm. He told her she was going to die that night, and left the room, returning with a knife in one hand and a hammer in the other, the court heard.
He told the woman she had 16 seconds to chose which weapon she was going to die by, saying if she did not choose, he would use both. Sedleckas started a chilling count from one to 16, but when he reached 15 the terrified woman chose the knife, LancsLive reports.
Recorder Slack said: "She explained to the jury she could see it was blunt and she thought it would do less harm than the hammer. Even though she selected the knife you hit her with the hammer to her chest, rib cage and lower back. The final blow was aimed at her head."
The woman turned her head to try and avoid the attack but was struck behind her left ear, causing an injury. As the woman screamed out, their neighbour, who is hard of hearing, noticed her dogs barking at the adjoining wall. She turned down the TV, and hearing the woman's screams, called the police.
When officers arrived at the flat, Sedleckas barricaded the door, saying no-one was hurt. But when officers forced entry they found the injured woman in the bedroom. Sedleckas was arrested and denied causing the injuries, claiming the woman must have fallen over in the flat. He maintained his denial during a trial, but the jury found him guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent (GBH).
Recorder Slack said: "I had the advantage of seeing your victim give evidence. I could see her small stature and painfully thin frame. This contrasted starkly to your obvious strength. She was in no position to put up any resistance to you if you hadn't been armed - and yet you chose to arm yourself with the weapons described and inflict injury upon her."
In a victim impact statement the woman said she had to have stitches to her head and was suffered pain which caused her to wake and cry out in her ribs and torso. She said the attack had made her existing mental health problems worse and said the abuse she experienced throughout the relationship would affect her ability to trust people in the future.
While the case was under investigation, Sedleckas wrote a letter to the neighbour - the only independent witness in the case, telling her: "If you really want to roll the dice then let's roll, and let's see who can roll snake eyes." He accused the neighbour of lying and claimed to have photos of cannabis growing in her house which he would show the police.
During the trial, the neighbour told the jury she was alone when she received the letter and was shaking when she read it. She was so upset she had to call her daughter over to stay with her, she said. Sedleckas denied intending to interfere with a witness, but was found guilty by the jury.
Sentencing, Recorder Slack said Sedleckas had 'a bad record for violence'. He has a number of previous convictions for GBH, common assault, and ABH which are predominantly against female partners - committed while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
The court heard Sedleckas has been using heroin since 1990 and crack for 11 years - however he has rid himself of his addictions while in prison on remand. In a letter to the court, Sedleckas said he recognises he must stay free from drugs and alcohol and described his deteriorating health, which includes an ulcerated leg which requires surgery.
The judge said: "These offences of violence - and violence against partners, recur and recur and recur in circumstances which point towards you being a danger." He said he had "no hesitation" in finding Sedleckas to be a dangerous offender.
Sedleckas was sentenced to one year custody for witness intimidation with an extended sentence of six and a half years in custody and two years extended licence to be served consecutively. The judge also granted two restraining orders to protect his victim and the neighbour who gave evidence in the case.
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