County Durham man jailed for second act of violence on now ex-partner

Durham Crown Court heard that during the preceding night out with his partner, Lee Lisle became bad tempered and aggressive as he was unable to buy any cocaine.

Deborah Smithies, prosecuting, said as Lisle became more intoxicated he vomited at one stage and on their return to his partner’s address, in Stanley, he continued to be in an aggressive mood.

He demanded his partner’s phone and she refused, so he kicked her in the back.

As she moved away towards the kitchen she opened the door to go out for a smoke, but Lisle ran at her, punched and head-butted her, so she turned to move back towards the living room.

Lisle followed and continued to punch her, then grabbed her and forced her onto the settee, where he choked her to the point where she lost consciousness.

Miss Smithies said during the course of the assault he had also made threats to her and when she came around she was tearful, but Lisle just told her to shut up as she would be better in the morning.

But she told Lisle she wanted him to leave and she paid for a taxi to ensure he did so.

She also sent pictures of her injuries to her mother.

Miss Smithies said in her police statement, given after she had received medical attention, she said the defendant had locked both front and back doors to the property, and retained the keys, to prevent her leaving during the incident.

He had told her she was, “going nowhere” and took her phone so she was unable to ring for help.

When the woman’s mother attended at the house later she was shocked to see the condition of her heavily bruised daughter.

She said she was aware of the nature of her daughter’s relationship with Lisle by that stage.

Miss Smithies said the victim’s mother took the view that Lisle was, “controlling” her daughter and she was aware of previous incidents of domestic violence.

Both the mother and daughter had been victim of offences of battery by the defendant, for which he received a one-year community order, in January last year, of which his latest offending put him in breach.

Miss Smithies said when the victim’s mother had arrived the complainant had not wanted her to report the incident to police as she feared it would only, “make it worse”, with the defendant.

Her mother described her daughter’s face being, “black and blue” all over, with further bruising to her head, neck, back, arms and chest, and she added that the defendant just seemed to have used her as, “a punch bag.”

Miss Smithies said at one point the victim “cowered” when her mother innocently lifted her arm, showing it had become, “an automatic reaction” to the violence she suffered at her now ex-partner’s hands.

When police attended the property, they noted damage present, with holes in the upstairs’ wall and bannister, which appeared to have been caused by kicks.

Miss Smithies said when Lisle was later arrested he accepted the allegation of false imprisonment, but otherwise strove to minimise his action.

He claimed he became angry because of texts on his partner’s phone which he believed were sent by other men, and he accepted demanding to see the device, which, when she refused to show him, led him to punch her to the side of the head.

But he could not account for other injuries and the marks on her neck.

In her impact statement, read to the court, the victim said she felt “numb” at the ordeal she suffered during which she said, “survival instinct” kicked in as she could not deal with the emotional trauma.

She said it had left her feeling, “bruised and battered” and made her want to leave her home.

Lisle, who lived at a hostel in Deckham, Gateshead, after the events of November 11, was remanded in custody when he admitted false imprisonment and assault causing actual bodily harm, at a plea hearing at the court on December 4.

But with a trial pending later this month on a third charge, of intentional strangulation, which Lisle previously denied, he changed his plea to guilty at a hearing last Wednesday (January 17).

Chris Morrison, for the defendant, said his client firstly wanted to apologise for his, “egregious behaviour”, having, now, “on reflection” thoughtfully about the violence he had put his former partner through that night.

Mr Morrison said there was an underlying background of adhd (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) behind Lisle’s actions.

Following six weeks in custody he urged Judge Jo Kidd to pass a suspended prison sentence.

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But Judge Kidd said the defendant had been “fortunate” to receive only a community order for the previous offences of battery, when he was sentenced in January last year.

She said for this latest, “horrible, sustained, serious attack”, which carried a risk of causing “fatal injuries”, she could only pass an immediate prison sentence.

Imposing a 32-month sentence, Judge Kidd also made Lisle subject of a five-year restraining order, prohibiting him from approaching or trying to contact his now, ex-partner.