A violent thug who slashed his partner’s throat just weeks after being released from prison for attacking her in the street is back behind bars.

Jason Noble grabbed the kitchen knife and lashed out at his victim when they returned home after he had spent the day drinking and taking cocaine.

His ex-partner was so scared of the 50-year-old that she initially told police it was a different man who had attacked her in their Darlington home.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Noble was arrested after his DNA and flesh from his victim’s neck was recovered from a kitchen knife.

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Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said the man who picked the pair up from the pub had earlier fled the house in his stockinged feet after Noble started to become angry and threatening.

When he returned to check on his friend, he saw that she was holding a towel to her throat to stem the flow of blood and returned to his home to tell his partner before the police were called.

Mr Cleasby said the woman suffered a 10-inch slash to her throat which penetrated the muscle and continued his terrifying abuse when he sent her a number of threatening letters from his prison cell.

He added: “He told her what he was capable of doing to her. He wrote ‘I’m not scared of any man' and if she got with anyone else, he would seriously hurt her.”

The judge had heard how Noble was jailed for 16 weeks last July after he punched the woman in the face and carried out the knife attack on October 14, just weeks after his release.

The Northern Echo: Jason NobleJason Noble (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Noble, of Harry Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent.

Andrew Nixon, mitigating, said his client had slowly recognised the significant impact of his latest offence against his partner after he pleaded guilty.

Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, branded Noble a dangerous offender as he passed a 15-year sentence – 12 years in custody followed by three years on extended licence.

“You were shouting and swearing at her, calling her a sl**, and making threats to the man as well,” he said.

“He left the property as quickly as he could fearing for his own safety. When he came back, he saw your victim with a towel pressed against her neck, you had slashed her throat using a knife which had come to hand during an argument.

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“The wound required surgery and was a truly life-threatening injury.

“You then made threats towards her, trying to deny responsibility for what you had done. Threatening her that if she said anything about what he had done, there would be repercussions.

“It was evident she was terrified of you and wouldn’t say you caused this injury until she knew you were going to be remanded in custody.”

Noble was also issued with an indefinite restraining order to protect the woman.