A brave dog came to the rescue and helped save her owner during a savage beating from her former boyfriend in her own home.
Loyal pet Bella forced Julien Phelps off owner Christine McCowen, 28, during the attack in which he was described as throwing his ex around “like a rag doll”.
But a court heard Phelps, 34, then tried blaming Ms McCowen’s injuries on the pet bull mastiff in a bid to escape justice.
Instead of confessing to the beating, Phelps told police that his ex had been bitten by her pet Bella.
Ms McCowen told Merthyr Crown Court how machine driver Phelps smashed up her home and destroyed furniture before kicking, punching and throttling her.
'I was scared for my life'
She said: “I thought he was going to kill me. I was scared for my life.”
But the court heard brave Bella had used her head to push Phelps off during the attack – and was herself punched in the ribs and left “yelping in pain”.
The attack finally stopped when a friend called at Christine’s house – and Phelps then blamed the dog for the injuries.
Christine said the dog was “her life” and feared her pet would be put down if Phelps had been believed.
“The dog was terrified, just like I was,” she said.
'Treated her like a rag doll'
The court heard jealous Phelps attacked McCowen at her home in Porth, Rhondda, after she had been out with friends. She needed eight stitches for her injuries.
Prosecutor Matthew Roberts said: “Such was his temper he treated her like a rag doll throwing her around her own home.”
Phelps, of Cadwgan Terrace, Trehafod, denied unlawful wounding and criminal damage but was found guilty by a jury.
The court heard he had 23 court appearances for 58 convictions, which included prison sentences for two violent offences against Ms McCowen in 2014 and one for harassment against another former partner in 2007, for which he received 16 months.
In a victim impact statement read to the court Ms McCowen said: “It has drained me. I can’t believe what he has done. He promised me the world after he came out of prison last time. I want him from my home and my life. I have given him too much.”
Phelps was jailed for 30 months.
Judge Recorder Christopher Clee QC told him: “You need to learn to control your temper.”
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/loyal-dog-tried-save-owner-11056174
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