'Shameful' 'bully' who knocked former partner's teeth out is berated by judge but spared jail

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Joseph Lees, prosecuting said the prolonged incident had taken place on March 1, at his former partner's home in Telford.

The court was told George had been drunk and 'bragging', telling the victim she would 'find out what a Wenny man is' - referring to the fact he was from Wednesfield.

When the victim got up to go for a cigarette she was pushed and fell into the cupboard, with George raising a spirit level over her.

Mr Lees said George then punched her in the face, causing her to bleed.

The court was told George was drinking rum from a bottle and again said 'you're going to know what a Wenny man is like'.

Mr Lees said that the victim was concerned at the drinking so tried to take the bottle off George, who slapped her five or six times.

The court heard that later that evening George punched her in the head causing some of her teeth to fall out.

Rosemary Proctor, mitigating on George's behalf, said he was remorseful for his actions.

She said: "At the outset of his interview with probation he made it clear he accepts full responsibility for his offending behaviour and did not seek to put any blame whatsoever on the victim."

Ms Proctor said that George had 'drunk himself out of his senses' adding: "His attack begins when he is speaking nonsense about being a 'Wenny man'."

She said that although George has a number of previous convictions he had managed before to "get out of the cycle" of offending.

Sentencing, Judge Deni Mathews described the attack as a 'shameful incident' over three to four hours.

He said: "You were declaring 'what it is to cross a Wenny man'. Well you showed yourself to be a brutish, thuggish bully to your partner.

"You should be thoroughly ashamed of what happened."

Judge Mathews added: "I have read the text messages, that bossy bravado 'call the feds, I don't care'. That is a million miles from the person sitting in the back of this court facing a prison sentence."

George was told he 'probably should not drink again'.

But Judge Mathews said there was genuine remorse and George had entered an early guilty plea.

He said that despite a poor record George had 'once before turned away from offending'.

George was told by Judge Mathews that because of the prospects of rehabilitation outlined by the probation service he was prepared to draw back from imposing an immediate prison sentence.

George was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £200 costs.