Middlesbrough man harassed ex-partner before beating friend

John Lewis harassed his former partner and assaulted her when he flew into a drunken rage when she refused to speak to him.

The drink-addled 39-year-old then brutally attacked a friend who had taken him in when he tried to intervene in a fight in his home.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the man lost two teeth and suffered a broken nose and ribs when the heavily-built defendant turned his fury on his friend.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said the defendant’s 20-year marriage broke down as a result of his excessive drinking.

Dealing with the incidents involving the ex-partner, Mr Newcombe said Lewis repeatedly headbutted a bus shelter when his ex-partner refused to speak to him before following her and attacking her.

The court heard how Lewis then turned up at her home on Christmas Eve whilst heavily intoxicated and started headbutting the window when she told him to leave her alone.

Less than two weeks later, the defendant delivered the brutal beating to his friend when he tried to stop him attacking a third person.

Mr Newcombe said: “The defendant punched him to the mouth, knocking out two teeth which the complainant believes he swallowed.

“He hit him again and broke his nose. The man was then pushed onto the sofa and the defendant punched him to the body – the victim thought he had suffered broken ribs.

“The defendant then puts his hands around man’s throat for ten seconds and squeezes tightly.”

John Lewis (Image: Cleveland Police)

Lewis, of Fosdyke Green, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to common assault and harassment of his former partner between December 22 and 24 last year. He also admitted causing grievous bodily harm on his friend from January 5.

Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said his client’s mental health had deteriorated following the death of his father and he had turned to drink and drugs to cope.

He said: “He accepts that it was a persistent and prolonged assault.”

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Judge Jonathan Carroll sentenced Lewis to a total of 45 months for all offences.

“You followed her, you set about her with a gratuitous, physical assault. You were pushing her and dragging her to the floor before pinning her to a wall,” he said.

Dealing with the attack on his friend, the judge added: “You set about strangling him, an extremely dangerous offence. There was extremely serious violence inflicted by you, a man who was in drink and was therefore in no capacity to judge the force of the strangulation.

“Thank goodness we are not dealing with a more serious outcome.”