Thug jailed after attacking ex-girlfriend twice in a week

A brute who attacked his former partner twice in one week has been put behind bars.

Thomas Mason strangled, bit, headbutted, kicked and punched the woman during two shocking assaults.

He has previous convictions for attacks on two former partners.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he and the latest victim lived in the same block of flats and knew each other as neighbours before beginning a relationship.

She ended it when he was unfaithful in February this year.

The court heard they got back together in April but she "found he had not changed" so they remained friends but began seeing other people.

On June 10 she was at his flat and they were talking when he began asking about her new man.

Vince Ward, prosecuting, said: "He became extremely jealous and aggressive. He wanted to know who the other man was."

Mason pulled the woman onto her back by her hair and pinned her to the bed before gripping her throat with such force she couldn't breathe.

Mr Ward said: "She thought she was going to pass out. She said that lasted for about 20 seconds.

"He then bit her ear, saying he was going to take a chunk out of it.  He bit her stomach and arm."

The court heard a week later, on June 17, he attacked her again. He was at her flat and again started asking about her new man.

Mr Ward said: "She would not tell him who it was and he again became jealous and angry and assaulted her. He pulled her to the floor by her hair in the kitchen.

"From a standing position above her, he punched her in the face several times. She became dizzy and is unable to say how many punches there were.

"He kicked her and headbutted her as well while she lay on the kitchen floor." She was left bleeding from her nose and was 'terrified'.

She tried to get out of her flat but he had hidden her key, only giving it to her when she offered to go and get him some alcohol.

Police were called and as a result of both attacks she was found to have a bloodied nose and marks on her neck and face.

Referring to a victim impact statement, Mr Ward said: "He has left her terrified about what he will do next. She describes his behaviour as continuing to become more violent during their relationship and describes herself as being scared one of the times that he would kill her.

"She feels less confident as a person and feels as if her life is on hold. She describes him as extremely unpredictable and she's scared."

The court heard the woman has had trouble sleeping since the attacks and has dreams and flashbacks about what happened.

The woman said: "I'm constantly anxious about what will happen if he is released. He said in the past if I upset him he will come looking for me so I'm scared he will do this if he gets released.

"I want to be able to have another relationship but I now struggle to trust new people. This assault has left me feeling highly anxious and like my life is on pause." Mason, 41, of Devonshire Tower, Sunderland, who has 14 previous convictions, including for assaulting two other former partners, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was jailed for 27 months by Judge Edward Bindloss.

Fiona Lamb, defending, handed in character references and said Mason had a good upbringing and was a hard worker.

Miss Lamb said Mason has caring and family responsibilities.