Woman feels her life is ruined as result of attack
AVIOLENT thug rained down blows on his girlfriend’s face after she threw a chicken burger at him for refusing to let her use his phone.
Shurn Hall left the young woman with permanent damage to her eye in a shocking attack at his home in Blyth, after which he refused to get her the medical help she needed.
Newcastle Crown Court heard she was left with multiple facial fractures, a blood clot behind her eye and is likely to have permanent issues with double vision.
The attack happened at Hall’s flat on February 12.
Jessica Slaughter, prosecuting, said: “An argument began because she wanted to use his phone and he would not let her, which made her think he had something to hide.”
She left his home but it was snowing and cold so she returned and asked to use his phone to call a taxi, which he refused.
Miss Slaughter said: “They continued to argue and she threw a chicken burger at him and slapped him across the face. He then came up behind her and threw several punches at her head. She tried to defend herself with her hands to her head. He threw more than ten punches while she covered her head.
“He then stopped the flurry of punches and she lowered her hands. He then hit her with a blow directly at her face with extreme force. She saw a flash of light and felt intense pain and there was blood dripping from her eye. She was staggering around saying she couldn’t see and she asked him to call an ambulance, which he refused to do. He did nothing to help her. She was in extreme pain and struggling to see.”
The woman managed to find her way to a friend’s home nearby.
Hall also attended and after initially admitting he caused the injury, he then claimed she had fallen downstairs. He left without helping her get to hospital.
In a victim impact statement, she said: “I feel I will never be good enough for anybody and I don’t know if I will ever be able to trust another man again. I feel emotionally and physically drained. I have had to wear special glasses and I’m unable to drive.” She added: “I’ve lost all confidence and this assault has had a massive impact on my young life and I’d go as far as saying it’s ruined it.”
Hall, of Cowpen Road, Blyth, who has 31 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to GBH with intent and was jailed for five years and four months. He was also given a ten-year restraining order.