A ‘cowardly and despicable’ thug who beat a woman round the head with a wok after he flew into a drunken rage has been locked up.

Ben Taylor violently attacked his victim in her own home when she was unable to wipe the data from his cousin’s mobile phone.

The 31-year-old knocked the woman unconscious and when she came round, she had to jump out of an upstairs window to escape his rage.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the woman suffered cuts and bruises after the brute, who lived close to her home, attacked her in October 2022.

Taylor also grabbed a police officer by the testicles when he tried to arrest him for breaching a restraining order while he was on bail for the attack.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, said the violence started when Taylor turned up at the victim’s home with a half-drunk bottle of vodka before becoming increasingly aggressive and slapping her.

He added: “She went into the kitchen saying - ‘you’re nothing but a wifebeater’ and the next thing she recalls is waking up on the floor. There was curry on the walls and the wok she was using to cook with was next to her.

“She was bleeding from her mouth and nose. She had to climb through an upstairs window onto a flat roof to get away from him.

“She ran past his house and as she did so, he threatened to set his dog on her. His mother brought the victim back to her own home.”

Mr Baker said the police were forced to use a Taser to subdue the defendant when they attempted to arrest him.

The court heard how Taylor robbed a shop in Middlesbrough when he threatened staff with a knife he had hidden in his waistband on July 10 last year.

His final raft of offences happened in August 2023 when he breached a restraining order when he turned up at his mother’s home.

Mr Baker said Taylor spat at one officer, tried to bite another before grabbing the testicles of another officer – shouting ‘it’s time to play’.

Ben TaylorBen Taylor (Image: Cleveland Police)

Taylor, of Uvedale Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm midway through his trial.

He also pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of a bladed article, breaching a restraining order and five counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

Rod Hunt, mitigating, said his client was now completely clean of drugs since he was remanded and was like a different person.

He told the judge that Taylor was rebuilding his relationship with his mother and hoped to stay out of trouble once he is released from custody.

Recorder Anthony Hawks sentenced Taylor to a total of three years and six months for all offences.

“You are a man who has ruined his life through drugs. It is no consolation to the people you hurt physically, financially or emotionally, that you have a drug problem.

“That’s your problem not theirs,” he said.

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“You lost your temper for absolutely no reason, knocked her unconscious and caused damage in her house.

“She had to climb out of a window and you threatened to set a dog on her.

“I hope you are proud of the fact that you are a person who attacks women – cowardly and despicable.”

Taylor was issued with a ten-year restraining order to protect the woman.