A SERIAL abuser left his ex-partner “terrified” and covered in bruises after he held her captive in her own home for days, biting her and fracturing her hand.

Richard John Wright, known as Richie, had only been released from prison days before the offences occurred.

Swindon Crown Court heard that during the ordeal, he lashed out at the victim, kicking and punching her before trapping her under an upturned sofa.

He also dragged her through the flat in Taw Hill, prosecutor Ryan Murray told the court on Tuesday (May 24), with the victim losing consciousness during the attack.

Mr Murray labelled it a “continual assault that lasted several days”, during which she was dragged to the bathroom and told to clean herself up.

Describing her injuries, the prosecutor said that she sustained bite marks, lumps all over her body, loose teeth and a displaced fracture to her right hand.

He added that the victim’s eight-year-old son witnessed much of the attack.

“She said she had not sought medical treatment at the time because she was too scared, she didn’t want her son to be taken away from her,” Mr Murray told the court.

“The defendant also said he would kill her if the police came.”

Events came to a head when 31-year-old Wright left the flat on January 20 of this year to confront a neighbour, with the victim taking her chance and barricading herself in with furniture.

It was at this point that he was arrested, and put in limb restraints by attending officers.

Mr Murray outlined to the court that Wright, of no fixed abode, has 39 previous convictions for 69 offences, including seven for violence.

Mitigating on behalf of Wright, who previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and using violence to secure entry, Emma Handslip said there was “a huge amount of shame” about his behaviour, referencing his long history of drug and alcohol abuse.

“What is important since he has been in custody [on these matters], he has realised this cannot continue.

“He became quite emotional when talking about his addiction.

“He knows he is going to get a custodial sentence of some length, and this time he has to come out free, and has to put whatever he is hiding from first.”

Sentencing, Judge Jason Taylor QC said that having just been released from prison and arrested a month earlier on domestic violence charges against the same victim that were not pursued, “you should have steered away from any trouble”.

He added: “You have a woeful record of compliance and you seem unwilling or unable to learn or change your behaviour.

“Even factoring those mitigating factors, I cannot ignore you pose an ongoing risk to partners, children or members of the public who get in your way and challenge your unacceptable behaviour.”

Judge Taylor jailed Wright for 30 months for the assault, and issued a seven-year restraining order banning him from contacting the victim.