A VIOLENT man bit his girlfriend’s ear and hit her with a fire extinguisher.
Dillon Morrow, a 20-year-old, of Hillmorton Road, Rugby, was given an 18-month suspended sentence because of the time he has already spent in custody, and made subject to a restraining order banning him from contacting his ex-girlfriend or going near her home for five years.
Warwick Crown Court heard Morrow had assaulted her repeatedly at his flat in the three days leading up to his arrest in May last year, during which time he had bitten her ear, exposing the cartilage, pulled out clumps of hair, forced a handkerchief in her mouth, hit her with a fire extinguisher and slammed her head to the floor.
The court heard in the early hours of May 21, when Morrow fell asleep, the girl ran to one of his neighbours hysterical and barefoot and said she had been beaten up.
Morrow was arrested but told officers he didn’t know what happened because he had had too much to drink.
He made no comment when he was interviewed but police found spatters of blood and clumps of her hair in his flat.
Prosecutor Paul Mytton said that as a result of her ordeal the girl suffers flashbacks and cannot move on with her life.
Ben Williams, defending, said: “It was a mindless loss of control. They are despicable offences for which he is very sorry. He’s struggled to recognise himself in that behaviour.”
Mr Williams pointed out that Morrow had been in custody for the equivalent of a 16-month sentence, which had led him to ‘fundamentally re-assess his outlook’.
Sentencing Morrow, Recorder Mark Hill QC told him: “A two-year sentence is appropriate, ameliorated by your plea to something like 18 months.
“The issue which is close to exceptional is the length of time you have spent in prison already. Because of that I believe it appropriate to suspend any sentence I would otherwise impose.”
