Blood gushed from woman’s face in attack by boyfriend

AWOMAN was left with blood gushing from her face and two black eyes when her boyfriend burst into a fit of rage.

Jamie Featherstone, 28, punched the woman in the face after a drunken row before refusing to leave her home.

The cowardly attacker even threatened to say he was attacked first in a bid to stop her telling the police about his thuggish assault.

Prosecuting, David Clarke told Preston Crown Court the then couple had been at the woman’s home in Skelmersdale in March.

He said: “They had been consuming some alcohol and went to bed at around 10pm. They then continued to consume alcohol as they watched TV.

“A verbal argument broke out, as the complainant describes ‘he went into a rage’ and punched her in the face.”

According to the victim’s statement, blood was “gushing out of her face” onto the bed sheets. She then told Featherstone, of Bath Street North, Southport, to leave her home but he initially refused, first going to the bathroom where he fell asleep and later attempting to get into bed with her.

He was again told to leave and asked her to give him a lift to a family member’s house but was refused and eventually left with a bag of his belongings.

The victim, whom the Advertiser has chosen not to name, was left feeling sick and dizzy and attended hospital at 9am the following morning.

A medical advisor at Wigan Hospital described her “nasty injuries” as including a swollen face with two black eyes and remnants of blood on her face. She also appeared “exhausted and in shock”.

Eight days later, police attended the woman’s home after receiving a tip off that the man was there. She initially refused to let them in but eventually officers went in and found Featherstone hiding in the loft.

Mr Clarke said: “He was interviewed and explained they are in a relationship, there had been a verbal argument and he hadn’t been physical in any way.

“When shown pictures of her injuries, he said he had no idea how they had been caused.”

In a victim personal statement given the following month, the woman said her anxiety and stress levels had worsened and that she was in severe pain for three or four days, in particular around her nose and eyes.

Mr Clarke explained that Featherstone, who pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, had no relevant previous convictions but did receive a police caution in may over an incident of criminal damage involving the same victim’s mobile phone.

He added a restraining order was requested and that the appropriate sentencing range would be from a high level community order to 18 months in prison.

Defending, Christian Kavanagh said Featherstone had been wearing an electronic tag for several months and had shown he could comply with court orders. He said Featherstone was eligible for unpaid work as punishment as well as looking for paid employment.

Mr Kavanagh said he had moved away from the area, accepted the relationship was over and did not object to a restraining order.

Sentencing, Judge Richard Gioserano criticised Featherstone for attempting to shift blame onto the victim when being interviewed for the pre-sentencing report. He said: “It’s not good that in the pre-sentencing report you try to blame her but it’s quite common in these cases of domestic violcent for the perpetrator to try and blame their partner.

“It’s a failure to have enough courage to admit you did what you did.

“Let that go and start dealing with whatever it is in you that’s leading you to do this.”

Featherstone was handed a two-year community order which requires him to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities, attend a ‘Building Better Relationships” programme and complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

A two-year restraining order was also issued banning him from having any contact with his victim.