Woman forced to cause car crash to escape 'explosive' violence of sadistic brute

A sadistic brute repeatedly attacked and threatened to kill a woman who was forced to try to crash a car to escape his "explosive" violence after she rejected him.

During two days of terror Orrin Clennell ordered his victim into his vehicle by making sinister threats then subjected her to assaults that involved her being punched repeatedly, dragged by the hair, threatened with a machete, choked and told "look at me while I hit you".

Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim was left convinced she would be killed and attempted to kick the steering wheel to crash the vehicle so she could escape the brute during one attack.

She was left with a fractured rib, lost clumps of hair and said in a victim statement: "Basically he's ruined me.

"I'm a completely different person. I feel like I'm numb."

Clennell, 33, of Ripley close, Ouston, Chester-le-Street, was convicted of charges of making threats to kill, assault, intentional strangulation and criminal damage, all in relation to the same woman, by a jury after a trial.

He had admitted assault in relation to the same victim and two charges of assault on emergency workers in relation to his attacks on police when they arrested him.

Judge James Adkin said Clennell, who has convictions for 51 previous offences, including violence on women, is "dangerous" and unable to cope with rejection.

Clennell was sentenced to seven years behind bars with a three year extended licence period and a lifelong restraining order to protect the victim.

Judge Adkin told him: "You intended to teach her a lesson. Your instinct is to use explosive violence when you don't get what you want."

The judge added: "I am sure she got into your car and you began to attack her, repeatedly striking her to the face.

"On one occasion you drove her to secluded area, punched her repeatedly to the ribs, she was held by her hair while you repeatedly attacked her.

"You made threats to kill her. She genuinely thought she was going to be killed.

"In each of the assaults there is an element of sadism, you told her to look at you while you punched her in the face.

"She was so frighted of what was happened she took it into her head to crash the car by kicking the steering wheel to try and escape you."

The judge said Clennell held a "bizarre self-justifying" attitude, which involved him telling the victim "I'm prepared to go to jail for you".

Daniel Cordy, defending, said Clennell's behaviour was "unacceptable" and while the attacks happened over two days it was "one continuing offence".