A WOMAN thought she would be killed when her partner from Wrexham launched a sustained attack upon her.

John Graham Jones, 23, was jailed for 18 months at Mold Crown Court.

Jones, of Range Road in Hightown, admitted that he assaulted Catherine Evans on February 3 occasioning her actual bodily harm.

She was kicked and punched and bitten and at one stage he was growling during what was described as a sustained attack.

Police were called at one stage but she did not divulge what had happened – only for the attack to continue after officers had left.

He denied stamping on her which was accepted by the prosecution.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said Jones had taken drink and drugs before the sustained attack against a vulnerable woman.

He had used his teeth and feet as weapons against her and had also thrown items against her causing injury.

It clearly passed the custody threshold and it was simply a question of how long he should serve.

If he had been convicted after trial then he would have received a two year sentence, the judge said.

Barrister Paulinus Barnes, prosecuting, said the couple had been in a relationship since last October.

The previous evening both had been out separately – she had been out celebrating birthday and he had been with friends in Wrexham town centre.

When he returned at 3.30am he was said to be growling, punched her to the face a number of times, he kicked her body and the back of the head and told her: “You will never beat me. I will always win.”

He pulled an electric heater from the wall and began hitting her with it. He threw the heater at her together with a child’s plastic chair which broke.

The attack stopped and he went outside where she became aware that he was speaking to her former partner and another man.

Despite what had just happened, she feared for his safety and went outside.

Police, alerted by neighbours, arrived but at that stage she said Jones was protecting her from the two other men.

She did not tell officers he had assaulted her, tried to hide her injuries, and he was taken back to her house by the police who were unaware of what had occurred.

But after they left the assault continued. He punched her to the face and body.

He kicked her and when she was on the floor he pressed his fingers or thumbs into her eyes so she could not see.

Mr Barnes said at that stage she curled up in the foetal position to protect herself and she thought he was going to die.

When later Jones heard her phoning for a taxi he “went ballistic” and hit her with a mop, grabbed her by the hair, threw her around in the kitchen and banged her against kitchen cupboards.

She was left with severe bruising and swelling including black eyes and she had lumps to the back of the head.

X-rays were taken which confirmed she had no fractures.

Barrister Simon Mintz, defending, said it was a nasty, sustained assault.

The one thing he should say was that the injuries were not as serious as they could have been.

She had been left with multiple bruising and swelling.

When sober and unaffected by drugs, said Mr Mintz, Jones was an intelligent man who had empathy and who felt very guilty about what he had done.

He was addressing the root cause of his problems and was on the recovery wing in prison where he had started counselling and help for his long-time problem of alcohol and drug abuse.

He was also involved in an IT course.