A woman had her hearing aids pushed into her ears during a painful attack by her boyfriend.
Dean Shaw left the victim with "significant" soreness and swelling after the hearing devices were struck during an attack. Newcastle Crown Court the couple had been drinking together in January this year and an argument broke out as they walked back to her home from the pub.
Prosecutor Nicoleta Alistari told the court when the couple got back to the house the trouble turned violent. She said: "The defendant punched the complainant to the head, which pushed in her hearing aids, which caused
significant pain. Her ear lobes were swollen.
Read more: Fenham gunman fired shots towards young children playing in tree near his garden
"She also sustained injury to her right eye, which was bruised. She had some bruising to her arms and hands and marks on her back."
The court heard the victim ran from the house and sought help from a neighbour. She was taken to hospital and given morphine for her pain.
Shaw, who has a previous conviction for common assault on a different ex, was arrested at a later date and said they had both said "deeply hurtful things to each other" before he had to pin the victim to the bed to stop her
attacking him.
He accepted he "may have, at some point, used excessive force". Shaw, 40, of Stanley Gardens, Gateshead, admitted assault.
Judge Robert Spragg told Shaw: "You had spent the day drinking from about 3pm, you went to the pub and on your way back there was an argument. The argument escalated back at the house, where you were both inebriated. It became physical and you punched her to the head, pushing in her hearing aids, which caused significant pain, her ear lobes were swollen.
"She suffered an injury to her right eye, which was bruised and had bruising on her arms and hands and marks on her back."
Judge Spragg said the protection of the public would be best achieved by Shaw's rehabilitation and intervention to address the problem he has in relationships. He was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with programme and rehabilitation requirements plus a £500 compensation order. He was also given a restraining order to keep him away from the victim for three years.
Liam O'Brien, defending, said Shaw spent more than five months in custody on remand over the attack and has since found good employment.
Read next:
- Morpeth pervert with 'Jimmy Savile' email address had vile abuse images including torture and rape
- North Shields rapist who struck hours after victim suffered miscarriage jailed for ten years
- Disgusting Sunderland thug who spat in the faces of nurse and police officer jailed
- Scotswood dance teacher who assaulted boyfriend while on suspended sentence for GBH walks free
- South Shields woman left partner with deep knife wounds to hands in row over TV news story
