A brave mum has spoken out about the frightening moment that her violent former partner shattered her jaw.
Kendra Mcquilling, 25, had to undergo an operation to fix the bones around her mouth after her violent ex-partner, Jay Curry, attacked her.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Curry, 33, followed her into the bathroom and punched her in the face, Teesside Live reports.
Kendra, of Stockton, said that the horrifying attack damaged the metal plates and screws inserted into her face during a pre-existing injury.
On the afternoon of February 14, she attended the court in Middlesbrough to see Curry sentenced to 27 months in jail.
Kendra said: "I was so naïve, I thought he was a nice person but really he wasn't.
"I feel stupid that I didn't know that Jay was like this.
"He should have a warning sticker on his head - warning people to stay away from him."
Kendra said she began a seven month relationship with Curry, from Thornaby, in January last year.
She said he was loving at first but his behaviour changed when he started going out drinking all night.
Kendra, who has a nine-year-old daughter, said: ""At times he was really loving. We had fun and we had a laugh together.
"He changed and started going out all the time drinking all night and starting on me.
"He would leave and make me feel rejected. I would try to get back with him - I thought we were meant to be.
"I thought he was going to be sorry but every time he did something wrong he would run away and leave me to think it was all my fault.
"I wanted to be with him. I thought Jay was the only person I had when I was with him. It wasn't until I got away from him that I realised he wasn't."
During his sentencing hearing, the court heard how Kendra and Curry had been visiting his mother's home on July 10, 2021.
When they returned to Kendra's address, Curry followed her to the bathroom and unleased the vicious assault on her.
The one punch attack smashed Kendra's jaw, which has already previously been damaged, and left her in severe pain.
She was forced to undergo further surgery on her jaw at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
Kendra found the strength to report Curry to the police and he was arrested two days later.
She said: "I did it for my little girl. I need to teach her that it's not normal.
"I have changed my life around now. I'm a totally different person to who I was when I was with him.
"I have got really good people around me."
Kendra said that, although the process was "daunting", she was provided with regular updates through the court.
Curry, of Whitley Road, Thornaby, Stockton, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm (GBH) during an earlier hearing.
Kendra was in the public gallery on Monday afternoon to see Curry sentenced for the offence.
Judge Jonathan Carroll told the court how Curry had put in a basis of plea in which he, in effect, said he didn't do very much wrong.
He said that Curry claimed, during a Newton hearing, that the incident was down to Kendra and his actions were little more than a "glancing blow".
The judge said: "We had a trial on the matter bus I give a very clear ruling - I rejected your basis of plea."
John Nixon, defending, told the court how the attack did not result in "serious irreversible injury" or anything approaching that.
The judge sentenced Curry, who has previous convictions for wounding and battery, to 27 months behind bars.
He was also handed an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting Kendra.
Kendra said: "I'm glad that I'm here, I'm glad I seen the sentencing and I was part of that.
"He totally didn't have any remorse for what he's done.
"In my head, I feel like no sentence will ever be long enough."
Kendra has now urged other victims of domestic violence to report their attackers to the police and make use of Clare's Law.
Clare's Law, named after Salford murder victim Clare Wood, gives any member of the public the right to ask the police if their partner may pose a risk to them.
Kendra said: "I would encourage people to go to court and get justice for what's been done."
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