A WHIRLWIND romance led to a campaign of violence that left a North-East woman fearing for her life, a court heard yesterday (Friday, March 13).

David Lynn was jailed after subjecting his wife to a string of brutal attacks, causing injuries and terror so significant she feels unable to rebuild her life.

Over nine months Lynn, of Tower Street West, Sunderland, battered Susan Peters, threatening to kill her if she reported his vile abuse.

The 39-year-old head-butted his wife repeatedly, threatened her with a knife, punched and kicked her and strangled her until she passed out.

Durham Crown Court heard the pair met online and married months later, the violence setting in not long after.

Family and friends were oblivious to the abuse as Lynn forced his victim to explain away regular injuries as simple accidents.

Yesterday, Ms Peters took to the stand to share her ordeal at the hands of the violent bully.

Still suffering from significant physical and mental problems relating to the sustained attacks, Ms Peters spoke of the impact of domestic abuse in a moving statement.

She said Lynn had left her feeling imprisoned by him, unable to leave her home and at a loss to protect her children.

She said: “Moving on is not an option as there are constant reminders every day and it makes me physically sick.

“I’m afraid to leave my house, I don’t sleep and I’ve moved because of what happened.

“My children have been impacted – as a mother, I’ve protected them all my life and I struggle with what they endured during that period of violence.

“He will never understand what he did to me and my family.

“He’s taken a part of me away that I’ll never get back – I have a long way to go in terms of putting this behind me and still live in fear of what he did and the threats he made.”

Mitigating, Robin Turton attributed Lynn’s behaviour to excessive drinking and said he was a hardworking man who volunteered in the community.

Lynn pleaded guilty to one count of causing Ms Peters to fear violence would be used against her and a charge encompassing a string of assaults that took place between September 2013 and August 2014 in Shotton Colliery.

Judge Simon Hickey jailed Lynn for 18 months and handed down a seven-year restraining order.

He said no woman should have to endure such abuse, adding: “The prosecution called this a campaign of violence and they were absolutely right.”