Thug jailed for vile attack on his ex

Paul Wadsley broke her elbow, bit her and cut her head during the sustained incident, a court heard.

He has previous convictions including assaulting his then-wife and one of his sons.

Jailing him for three years Judge Brian Cummings, QC, said: “You have yet again assaulted someone in the context of domestic relationship. It is a very serious matter.”

He made a five-year restraining order banning him from contacting his latest victim, Carol Cross.

Wadsley, 47, of Frog Lane, had pleaded guilty to inflicting GBH and criminal damage.

Ken Grant, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court the couple had broken up but on November 8 he called by prior arrangement at her home in Warrington Road, Wigan, to collect his leg brace.

He arrived with half a bottle of whisky and became emotional, asking why she had broken up with him. He grabbed her mobile and started looking through it and she took it from him.

But he snatched it back and threw it into a basin of water in the kitchen sink and after pushing her towards the door “grabbed her by the right bicep and put his other hand around her throat and threw her against the kitchen window.”

Wadsley punched a cupboard but then calmed down and offered her his bank card so she could buy another phone. She retrieved her mobile to dial 999 and managed to shout out her address.

“He grabbed hold of the phone and snapped it in two before punching it several times completely destroying it. He then grabbed hold of a kitchen knife and held it in front of him prodding himself in the chest saying ‘where shall I put it in?’”

The terrified victim begged him to stop and he lunged forward and thrust the weapon into the kitchen counter and began to cry. He asked her for a hug and in fear she did but he then bit her on the collarbone.

He led her by the hand to her bedroom and threw her on the bed and got on top of her. She begged him to get off and after he did they went back into the living room where “he flipped again,” said Mr Grant. “In the hallway he got hold of her and threw her to the floor causing her to bang her head and suffer a cut to her head which later needed glueing. She asked him to call an ambulance and this seemed to make him more aggressive.

“He ordered her into the bedroom, punched her in the mouth before throwing her onto the bed and threw a metal chair and other objects at her while she was trying to protect herself with her arms.”

Eventually she managed to persuade him to make them a drink and on the pretext of going to the toilet she fled her flat and flagged down a passing car for help and the police were called.

Miss Cross spent two weeks with her elbow in plaster and had also suffered a cut to her lip and scalp as well as bruising. She is still off work and on medication for depression.

Martyn Walsh, defending, said Wadsley, who has committed 22 previous offences, has mental health and alcohol issues. He is remorseful and has been seeking help for his difficulties and has not had a drink for two months.