Thornaby man threw ex-partner down stairs and cut her face

Damien Taylor also threatened to crash his car into an oncoming lorry while arguing with his former partner while their young son was in the rear of the vehicle.

The 44-year-old breached the terms of a non-molestation order when he ‘you’re dead’ to his ex-partner when he drove past her and then sent an emoji to her mobile phone, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Caroline McGurk, prosecuting, said the two violent attacks had left the victim fearing for her life and the continued threats had impacted her and her son’s life.

Describing the first assault on the victim, the lawyer said: “He ran towards her screaming get out before he picked her up and threw her down the stairs. She recalls hitting her head and back on every step as she fell.

“She genuinely thought that she was going to die.”

Dealing with the second assault, Ms McGurk said the defendant had visited the victim’s home to see his son and reacted angrily to being asked to leave.

“The defendant was wearing a bracelet with a concealed blade,” she said. “He said to her you know what I can do, she was scared he was going to slit her throat.

“He grabbed her face and cut her cheek with the blade and left a fingernail mark where he grabbed her.”

Damien Taylor (Image: Cleveland Police)

Taylor, of Avon Close, Thornaby, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, making threats to kill, and two breaches of the non-molestation order between September 2022 and March 2023.

Gary Wood, mitigating, said the father-of-three had been working on addressing his drug issue whilst on remand for the last nine months.

He added: “He has had a long time to reflect on his offending and realised that prison is somewhere he desperately doesn’t wish to be.”

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Recorder Andrew Dallas sentenced Taylor to a total of two years and two months for all offences.

Dealing with the offence of throwing the woman down the stairs, he said: “That was an incredibly dangerous thing to do, while you were immediately remorseful, there could have been a very serious injury caused.

“Once you pushed her down the stairs it was out of your control – it was a very stupid and dangerous thing to do.”

Taylor was also made the subject of a five-year restraining order.