A MAN subjected his partner of seven years to a prolonged night of violence after celebrations for a child’s birthday turned sour, a court heard.

Jamie Storey, who had been drinking increasingly heavily, began rowing with his now ex-partner late into the evening and pushed her into a door in the kitchen.

Durham Crown Court heard that although a cousin still present tried to calm him down, he also pushed her away.

Storey accused his partner of being a “liar” and threw both her mobile phone and a child’s toy at her, before going back into the kitchen and starting to smash things.

Amy Levitt, prosecuting, said when the fearful former partner threatened to leave, Storey pulled her back by the hair.

When she managed to get outside he followed and pushed her to the ground, before she was able to return to the house and slam the door shut.

Storey banged on the door and was able to get back into the property where he grabbed her by the throat, before pulling her by the hair along the landing.

Miss Levitt said Storey then told the now defenceless woman: “Do you want to know what real pain feels like?”

He dragged her downstairs and slammed her head on the floor several times.

She was able to run outside, again, but Storey followed, where he pushed her to the ground, threatened to kill her and was in the act of grabbing her neck to choke her, when the police arrived.

Seeing the officers approaching he released his grip and his partner fled back into the house.

Storey was arrested and in interview accepted having damaged items, cutting his finger in the process accounting for the presence of blood.

He accepted having drunk heavily and claimed he could not recall much, but denied assaulting his partner, saying she had thrown herself to the ground outside.

Miss Levitt said the heavily bruised and sore victim told police she was, “hurting, from head to toes,” and added that her partner needed help.

Storey, 28, formerly of Oakerside Drive, Peterlee, but recently living at a bail address with a relative in Park Terrace, Horden, denied assault causing actual bodily harm at a plea hearing prior to Christmas, claiming he still had no recollection of events on the night in question, on April 1, last year.

His case was adjourned for trial, but just 24 hours prior to the scheduled hearing, Storey returned to court and changed plea to admit the charge today (Wednesday March 16).

Read more: County Durham man put 'ex' through two years' of torment

The court heard once she was told he would be admitting his guilt his ex-partner would not assist the prosecution or provide a victim impact statement, and there was no application for a restraining order.

Lewis Kerr, in mitigation, said on the day of the offence Storey, who did not normally consume alcohol, had drunk heavily and claimed his partner had revealed to him about a past relationship which made him angry.

“He saw red and could not recall what then took place due to his level of intoxication.”

But Mr Kerr said the defendant was, “very ashamed” of his actions and the effect on his ex-partner.

Mr Kerr said Storey, who was previously in work, lost his job during lockdown, and suffered with, “depressive issues”, but had not taken medication prescribed to him at the time of the incident.

Despite two previous unrelated incidents of violence on his record, Mr Kerr added that his client’s actions that night were, “out of character”.

Judge Ray Singh said having viewed CCTV of the part on the incident that took place outside their home, Storey had, “plenty of opportunity” to admit his guilt and only did so late in proceedings.

“This was a violent, sustained incident, fuelled by alcohol.

“Who knows what would have happened if the police had not arrived when they did?”

He imposed a 20-month prison sentence but said due to the level of violence in the “prolonged” incident, he could not suspend the jail term.

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