Thug who broke girlfriend's back in vicious Staffordshire assault is jailed

Nicholas Cope's brutal assault on his partner was the final act in a campaign of violence that also included throttling her and hitting her.

When she eventually told him that she'd had enough and packed her bags, Cope grabbed her around the throat in the bedroom of their Chase Terrace home and held her until she briefly lost consciousness.

Mr Nick Burn, prosecuting at Stafford Crown Court, said the victim just wanted to get out of the house, but Cope confronted her in the kitchen and pushed her in the chest, causing her to fall to the floor.

She immediately felt pain in her back but didn't pay much attention to it until a Police Community Support Officer found her sitting on a bench outside the town's library. She was taken to hospital where a medical examination revealed she had a fracture of the spine and numerous bruises.

Cope, aged 38, of Rugeley Road, Chase Terrace, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on July 3 this year. He also admitted two earlier attacks on her - a common assault on June 9 and assault causing actual bodily harm on June 29.

Recorder Mr Christopher Goodchild, who heard Cope suffered from bipolar disorder, told him: "When you take your medication, most people think highly of you. The reality is, however, although you have medical problems, you were very violent towards your partner. It was suspected she had a burst spleen - it wasn't - the final assault is a broken back. Fortunately, the fracture won't cause future problems."

Along with the jail sentence, the judge also imposed an indefinite restraining order banning Cope from contacting his former partner.

Mr Burn said the first attack, on June 9, saw Cope slap her with the heel of his hand and hit her on the head with an after-shave bottle.

On June 29, the couple were in a social club listening to a band when without warning Cope grabbed her round the throat and hit her with the heel of his hand. She woke up the next morning with bruises over her head.

But on July 3 after Cope hit her again, she told him: "That's it, I'm leaving, I've had enough". Cope grabbed her by the throat and she later told police: "I was terrified, there was nothing I could do to get him off."

After she had packed her bags, Cope pushed her over in the kitchen and broke her back.

In a victim impact statement, she said she has difficulty getting up and down stairs and struggles with eating due to the injuries to her neck.

Mr Lee Masters, defending, said Cope had written a letter to his former partner, asking for forgiveness and confirming the relationship is over. "The first step on the road to recovery is to recognise you have a problem," said Mr Masters.