Wrexham,North Wales - Attack victim held knife to her own throat in bid to end abuse

Published date: 04 May 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A WOMAN was left ‘black and blue’ after a sustained attack upon her by her ex-partner.

In desperation she held a knife to her own throat at one stage and said she would rather die than continue to be attacked.

Mold Crown Court heard yesterday it was the third time David Bowen, 31, had attacked her.

He was described as a controlling bully by a crown court judge yesterday.

Bowen, of Ffordd Offa in Cefn Mawr, Wrexham, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and two charges of criminal damage involving her bedroom wall and her phone.

He was jailed for 14 months.

Judge Niclas Parry also made a five-year restraining order under which he is not to approach the victim in any way and he is not to enter the road where she lives.

The judge told Bowen, who appeared for sentence via a live television link from Altcourse Prison in Liverpool, that in the course of two separate and serious incidents he had subjected her to “sustained violence.”

It only went to underline “your controlling behaviour towards her. You are nothing other than a bully,” he said.

On the first occasion he lost his temper, he smashed her bedroom wall with his fists and as she tried to get away he followed her and punched her repeatedly and he shouted vile, demeaning abuse.

He kicked her to the floor and she was in such despair that she put a knife to her own throat.

But his jealous rage continued and he spat at her, kicked her legs before she got out in her dressing gown and bare feet.

At one stage he flicked ash in her face and threatened to extinguish his cigarette on her.

Judge Parry told how the victim described the whole incident as going on for some two hours and that she was in a blur.

Prosecutor Emmalyne Downing told how the victim ended the relationship at Christmas because she believed he was seeing another woman.

But in March she received a series of text messages from him wanting to get back together.

She was not interested and told him so.

At her home he wanted to know who the male friend was she had been texting and when she eventually agreed to tell him “he flipped and went mental”.

It was then the attack took place which left her with significant bruising and lumps including a lump to the forehead.

At one stage she got a knife and held it to her own throat and said she would use it if he did not stop.

She wanted to shock him and later told how she felt she would rather die than continue to be attacked.

He took the knife from her but later the attack began again, with him spitting at her and kicking her.

The defendant also destroyed her phone when she refused to give him the PIN.

Phillip Tully, defending, said his client was realistic and knew there could only be one sentence.

Fortunately the injuries she received were restricted to bruising and swelling, but it was accepted that it was a sustained attack with an element of kicking.

The defendant was a different man when not in drink, he said.

He was a polite individual when sober, but he clearly had a problem with issues of jealousy.

Bowen had pleaded guilty at an early stage and had expressed genuine remorse.

It had been a relationship that was going nowhere and had its problems.

The victim had withdrawn her support for the prosecution and while she said her allegations were all true, she wanted a restraining order rather than being punished.

Mr Tully said the relationship was over and the defendant was now in a new relationship.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/161639/wrexham-attack-victim-held-knife-to-her-own-throat-in-bid-to-end-abuse.aspx