A MAN who pushed his partner into a bath of scalding water during a row in their hotel bedroom was yesterday (Tuesday February 17) jailed for two years.

The victim, who was celebrating her 36th birthday with the overnight stay at the hotel, suffered 30-per cent burns to her arms, back and part of her chest as a result of the ordeal, and may be left permanently scarred.

Although it was accepted Paul George Turner may have been unaware how hot the bath water was, Durham Crown Court heard he then ignored her cries for help.

He left the room, supposedly to seek assistance, but fell asleep in a toilet near reception.

Police were summoned to the Chilton Country Pub and Hotel, in Chilton Moor, near Houghton-le-Spring, after a suspicious night porter heard noises from the toilet, in the early hours of September 22.

David Lamb, prosecuting, said it was only after his partner came downstairs to confirm he was a guest, that Turner was allowed back to the room.

But Mr Lamb said the dispute then resumed as he slapped her and banged her head on the bed headboard.

The woman left separately later that morning and such was the concern over her condition when she returned to her parents’ home that an ambulance was summoned, and she was taken to the burns unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, where she spent to next 13 days receiving treatment.

Turner, who handed himself in at Chester-le-Street Police Station two days later, claimed they had been “play fighting” and he accidentally pushed her into the bath.

The 49-year-old, of Malvern Avenue, Chester-le-Street, denied causing grievous bodily harm and assault by beating, relating to the incidents in the hotel bedroom.

But he was found guilty of both charges on unanimous jury verdicts following a trial at the court last month.

He was cleared of a further charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, relating to a separate incident at his flat 12 days earlier.

The sentencing hearing was told the victim has been made redundant from her teaching job, has returned to live with her parents and has suffered psychological as well as physical scarring as a result of the incident.

Stephen Duffield, mitigating, handed in a number of character testimonials and references on behalf of Turner.

He said the defendant has only one previous offence of violence on his record.

Jailing him, Judge Christopher Prince said Turner appeared to have become “argumentative and aggressive” on his return to their hotel room that night.

The judge said that while he may not have been aware of the heat of the bath water, “you then completely ignored her cries for help.”

Judge Prince said: “When she held out her hand you didn’t take it, forcing her to put her hand and forearm into the water to try to push herself out.

“All parts of her body which were immersed in the water suffered burns.

“She was in extreme pain and it must have been quite obvious.”