‘Dangerous offender’ wants help for drugs problem and anger issues

CLASSIFYING him a ‘dangerous offender’, Judge Beverley Lunt told Matthew Bonnell he intended to ‘terrorise and terrify’ his ex-partner.

Burnley Crown Court was told Bonnell had also committed the assault in Accrington while on licence for a previous conviction for attacking another ex-girlfriend.

He was sentenced to three years in prison in 2015 for actual bodily harm and threats to kill on Boxing Day in 2014, as well as battery against the same victim on December 1.

Giving him a ten years and four month sentence, Judge Lunt said his recent ex-partner had suffered ‘significant trauma and violence’ during the attack.

She said: “Given the similarity of the previous offence for which you were convicted in May 2015 and given a lengthy prison sentence, I make it plain there is no question in my mind that you are a dangerous offender.

“The actual physical injuries suffered in the incident may not have been as serious as they could be. But you terrorised both of these women and caused significant psychological harm.

“I am satisfied there is a significant risk of anyone in a relationship with you suffering psychological harm.”

Judge Lunt also granted a restraining order prohibiting Bonnell from contacting the victim. She added: “The offences before me were very serious, they were premeditated in my judgement and intended to terrorise and terrify your ex partner.

“You caused a lot of damage to the home.

“You used that weapon to repeatedly assault her while she was begging you to stop.

“It was very unpleasant with unpleasant injuries and she was clearly terrified for her life.”

Defending Bonnell, Kimberley Obrusik, said he accepted his behaviour had been ‘abhorrent’ and wanted to seek help.

She said: “Drugs have been the main problem of the offending throughout his life. He says his behaviour was entirely unacceptable and he is disgusted with himself.

“He says ‘I need a long prison sentence’. He wants to be able to work with his anger issues and drugs problem and issues with women. But it isn’t accepted by the defendant that this was a planned attack.

“He says he snapped as a result of being on the drugs. But he is adamant that was not his intention when he went round.”