Violent thug punched, choked and spat on his partner in County Durham attack

Anthony Davies attended the woman’s home, while they were in a long term on/off relationship, to fit flooring in December 2023

But Durham Crown Court heard there were lingering rows about the status of their relationship.

By 11.30pm, Davies went out for more alcohol for both and the dispute escalated in the kitchen, when his partner told him a family member would step in if he harmed her again.

The court heard Davies took exception to the remark and struck her in the face several times causing her to bang her head on the door handle in falling after one of the blows.

Prosecutor Jonathan Gittins said Davies also head-butted her, causing blood to splatter over a wall.

He also pinned her to the fridge, with both hands around her throat, before lifting her up and she then dropped to the floor, where she came around, with Davies warning her about the consequences of contacting the police.

Mr Gittins said Davies’ parting shot was to spit at her leaving her with a cut over an eye lid, two black eyes, a red mark and bruising to her head, neck and body.

She was initially too frightened to contact the police but eventually did so at 3.25am.

Mr Gittins said she declined to go to hospital the following day, but due to lingering concussion she did so on December 5.

She also had a pain in the neck and found it difficult to swallow and revealed she had feared she would be killed during the ordeal.

Having received abusive messages from Davies she contacted the police to make historic allegations over previous assaults by the defendant, including an incident in which he had stamped on her while wearing his work boots.

There was also a previous occasion where she was left drifting in and out of consciousness, and, due to her injuries, she did not leave home for three months but was too frightened to report it to the police.

The victim said the acts of violence “messed up her whole life”, and she was left second guessing what may happen after everything she does.

Mr Gittins said the defendant was arrested on December 12 and taken into custody.

He admitted causing his partner’s injuries, but claimed it was in self-defence, after she hit him with a spatula.

Davies, 38, of College View, Esh Winning, County Durham, initially denied controlling and coercive behaviour in a relationship, non-fatal strangulation and three counts of assault causing actual bodily harm but later pleaded guilty.

The sentencing hearing was told he has eight past convictions for 14 offences, including offences of battery and assault involving a former partner.

Tony Davis, for the defendant, said he conceded from the outset that his client was fully aware he would be receiving a custodial sentence with immediate effect.

Mr Davis said the defendant, a skilled ground worker, had a disposable income enabling him to abuse drugs and alcohol for some length of time.

He said the defendant did not want to blame his former partner for the, “toxicity of the relationship”.

“He said she just, probably, went along with his behaviour.

“He’s not trying to shift blame, and, in his own words, he accepts his behaviour has been ‘horrible’.

“It’s acknowledged his own behaviour has caused him to lose everything he has.

“He only has himself to blame for that.”

Mr Davis said the defendant had a long history of being in full-time employment, working hard and for long hours, enabling him to become, “a weekend millionaire”, behaving like an “idiot”, leading to conflict and violence domestically.

“He’s desperate to address his problems.

“It’s refreshing that he accepts his behaviour has been the root cause of the problems.”

Judge Jo Kidd told Davies: “You are now 38 and have appeared before the court previously.

“You have a pattern of offending with women with whom you are in a relationship.

“For seven-and-a-half years you subjected your partner to so many assaults she says she has lost count.

“The persistence and quantity and quality of the violence you meted out on her is at the top end of the gamut for domestic violence.

“The impact on your victim has been extreme.”

Judge Kidd said there was also a degree of degrading his partner by deliberately spitting at her to humiliate her.

She added that during the final incident it did not surprise her that his partner believed she was going to die.

Imposing a three-year prison sentence, Judge Kidd also made Davies subject to a restraining order.

It prohibits him from attempting to contact or approach his victim, “until further order”.

She told the defendant that under current sentencing policy for inmates serving terms of imprisonment for domestic violence, he would serve half of the three years in custody before being released on licence.