A man choked and bit his partner during a violent attack that lasted half an hour and told her he should "finish her off" as he sat with blood stained hands.
Mark Walker subjected his then-partner to a horrific, drunken attack that involved him biting her nose and choking her to the point she couldn't breathe. The 43-year-old left the woman with multiple bruises and a black eye following the attack on December 19 last year.
Walker, of Highfield Rise, Chester-le-Street, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault. He had pleaded guilty to the offences at a previous hearing.
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The court heard that Walker subjected his then-partner to two separate assaults, one in June last year when he pulled her out of bed and choked her, and a second, more violent attack carried out in December last year. The later attack left the woman with "significant anxiety" and she was left feeling terrified he would kill her.
Prosecutor Liz Muir said that on December 19, a drunken Walker began attacking his then-partner, who was sleeping in bed. He pushed her and began choking her to the point she couldn't breathe. During the violent assault, Walker bit the woman's nose before sitting back down with his hands covered in blood and telling her he should "finish her off".
The woman managed to escape her ordeal - which lasted around 30 minutes - and contacted the police, with Walker changing out of his bloodstained clothes before police arrived. In a victim statement, the woman said she was left terrified by Walker's behaviour and resorted to recording herself at times so that she would have a record of her movements. The court heard that Walker had previous convictions, including a domestic incident related conviction dating back to 2018.
Mr Ridley, mitigating, said Walker pleaded guilty to the charges at the "earliest opportunity" and had taken "positive strides in life and obtained new employment" as a team leader at a warehouse, something he is "proud of achieving". He said that Walker had been put in care as a child and began offending at a young age and had since addressed his alcohol use. Mr Ridley added: "He is sorry for what he has done and the trouble he has caused her."
Sentencing Walker, Judge James Adkin said: "You were very drunk that morning and your partner was in bed. You pushed her out and choked her to the point she couldn't breathe. You put your hand over her nose and mouth, resulting in her being sick. You grabbed her hair and bit her nose. The assault continued and you dragged her around and kicked and punched her for half an hour."
He added: "You sat on the sofa with your hands covered in blood saying you might as well finish her off. She then fled and reported you to police. You left her with bruises and a black eye." Judge Adkin said he had "serious concerns" about Walker's risk to women and jailed him for two years. A seven year restraining order was also imposed.
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