Jail for attack on girlfriend
A thug who kicked and stamped on his terrified girlfriend during a vicious attack at their home has been put behind bars.
Geoffrey Gage, 37, dragged his victim back inside the house to continue the assault on her after she managed to escape the violence and run to a neighbour’s house for help, but got no answer.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the frightened mum was punched, kicked, stamped on and suffocated during the “sustained and repeated” assault.
She was left with facial injuries as a result of the violence, which flared when an argument started after Gage had been drinking at the couple’s home in Sunderland on August 25.
Gage, of Hewitt Avenue, Ryhope, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to assault.
Judge Penny Moreland jailed him for two years and said he must abide by a fiveyear restraining order to keep him away from his victim.
Judge Moreland said the attack was “disgraceful” and told him: “She went upstairs in the house to get away from you, but you followed her and punched her so she got back downstairs and ran out into the street.
“She was banging on a neighbour’s door but no one answered. You followed her into the street and there you punched her, you kicked her and you pulled her hair, dragging her back to your house.
“You absolutely terrified her. You continued to kick her and you suffocated her.”
The court heard Gage feels “remorse and shame” for what he did.
Christopher Morrison, defending, said Gage has a job, support from his family and is “willing to apply himself ” in future.