Former scrap man jailed after violence at ex's Sunderland home left her terrified with knife wound

Warren Rose had split from the victim after he became cruel and possessive, particularly in relation to her work in a gentleman's club.

Newcastle Crown Court heard after she sent a text saying his belongings were in the garden of her home in Houghton for him to collect there was a violent clash.

She said she now lives in "constant fear" of the 30-year-old former scrap man.

Prosecutor Glenn Gatland said when the woman was in bed she heard a banging on the door on June 30 and added: "She went downstairs and saw the top panel of a PVC kitchen door had been knocked through.

"The defendant was standing outside. A security chain was preventing him from opening the door but he put his hand through the smashed panel and undid the security chain.

"He called her a ******* **** and pushed a spaghetti jar and microwave off the bench, causing her to jump back.

"She was terrified and ran upstairs to get her phone to ring the police."

The court heard Rose then followed her into her bedroom.

Mr Gatland said: "She keeps a knife next to her bed and is unsure who picked up the knife first but the defendant held the knife to her throat, which left a mark.

"He did that while he was on top of her on her own bed.

"He shouted 'you ******* **** I will ******* kill you'."

The court heard Rose snapped a mobile phone in the house before he left.

Mr Gatland added: "The victim felt a cold, numb feeling in her shoulder and she looked in the mirror and saw blood and realised she had been stabbed in the shoulder at some point."

The court heard she he had a one inch stab wound to her lower left shoulder blade and a scratch to her throat.

Rose had also pushed the knife through the top of the microwave and a pot in the front garden was smashed.

When police arrived at the house she was "visibly upset, shaking and crying" and there was blood on the kitchen door and bed.

The damage caused to the victim's home and belongings was estimated at more than £1,000.

In a victim impact statement, she said Rose was "charming" to begin with after they met in Sunderland but then changed.

She said: "I worked in a gentleman's club and he started calling me names, even though he knew what I did.

"He caused me to have anxiety problems and he was very controlling and would stop me seeing friends and family because he wanted me to himself.

"Even the mention of him makes me ill.

"When writing this I thought my heart was going to explode and I felt physically sick.

"Warren Rose is evil and has ruined my life.

"There are nights I'm up all night with my window open worrying he will come back. I live in constant fear."

Rose, of Jasper Avenue, Greenside, Ryton, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to affray and criminal damage and a charge of assault was dropped.

He was jailed for 14 months and given an indefinite restraining order.

Mr Recorder Matthew Happold, who said Rose's clothes were found to be damaged in the garden, said: "It's undoubtedly the case the complainant suffered injury - a wound to her throat and her back.

"You say that you didn't deliberately stab her and that she produced the knife and there was a struggle in which you were both injured.

"I'm slightly sceptical about that given the location of the injuries.

"It's clear you really scared her. You went into her house, damaged things, there was a struggle and she was injured."

Mark Styles, defending, said Rose had been working as a scrap man and added: "To simply describe him as evil is grossly unfair. He was in a relationship that went badly wrong."

He said Rose also had medical treatment for a knife injury, adding: "He doesn't accept deliberately stabbing her.

"He said he was stabbed taking the knife from her but didn't do it deliberately - there was a struggle. He didn't go there armed with a weapon."