A violent thug broke his partner’s jaw in two places before attempting to strangle her during a drink and drug fuelled attack despite being banned from being near her.

Terrence Fox knocked the woman unconscious when he punched her to the face while she was kneeling on the floor packing a bag to flee from his aggressive behaviour.

Teesside Crown Court heard that when she came round Fox was straddling her on the floor while strangling her when violence erupted justr days after the pair had rekindled their romance.

The 35-year-old was in breach of a restraining order to protect his vulnerable victim from his violent behaviour following a previous attack.

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Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the victim has been left with metal plates in her which will remain in place permanently.

He added: “She says that she has been felt with numbness to the lip and chin and has been made aware that feelings may never return.

“She said that children saw the way she looked following the incident and that upset.”

The court heard how the defendant has a number of previous convictions, including battery and assault when he dragged the same victim out of her home and grabbed her by the throat, and breaching of a restraining order by contacting the same victim.

The Northern Echo: Terrence Fox. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICETerrence Fox. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICE

Fox, of St Johns Close, Middlesbrough, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and breach of his restraining order following the violence in January this year.

Gary Wood, in mitigation, said his client now accepts that the incident took place while he intoxicated.

He added: “This wasn’t a planned, premeditated incident, she of course has some degree of vulnerability, but there was no use of a weapon and it wasn’t a prolonged, persistent incident or incident due to revenge.”

Judge Christopher Smith branded Fox a ‘danger’ as he passed a seven-year extended prison sentence.

He said: “She appears to have lost consciousness for a short period of time, she found herself in the middle of the bedroom lying on her back and you on top of her – strangling her, kneeling across her chest.

“That is a particularly troubling aspect to your behaviour.

“So far as that hard blow was concerned you left her with two fractures to the jaw, requiring surgical intervention.”

Fox was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order.

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