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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Neil Docking

Cowardly bully broke girlfriend's face and threw paint over her

A "violent cowardly bully" broke his girlfriend's eye socket and cheekbone then later hurled paint over her.

Damien Rich broke into an ex-partner's home at night and "completely trashed" the house when "off his head" on cocaine.

While on bail for that burglary, he started dating another woman, who tried to kill herself three times after his "vile" abuse.

READ MORE: Married couple out for morning walk slashed and punched by yob

The ECHO has chosen not to name either of the Wirral thug's victims.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Rich was in a relationship with Woman A for eight months in 2019 and 2020, but this "ended as a result of his violence towards her".

Nick Cockrell, prosecuting, said a Domestic Violence Protection Order was imposed, but Rich was jailed for eight weeks in July 2020 for breaching it.

By September 2020 the couple had split up, but he "was constantly trying to contact her and speak to her - despite her blocking all of his known contact details".

Woman A went to stay at her mum's on September 4, 2020, but when she woke at 7am, she had a missed call from a concerned neighbour.

A large stone had been thrown through her front window, pictures and mirrors were smashed, there was "glass everywhere" and in her bedroom Rich left a note saying "jure just a slag".

Her neighbour had seen Rich outside around 2am, calling her a "slag" and a "fat b****", and he cut himself during the raid, leaving his blood at the scene.

Damien Rich subjected two women to domestic violence (Liverpool Echo)

Rich was arrested and interviewed, but exercised his right to silence and was released on police bail on November 11.

He started seeing Woman B in September, who said they both worked at a convenience store in Wallasey.

But while staying at a hotel on December 23, they argued about Rich "having a relationship with another woman".

Mr Cockrell said Woman B went to walk out of the room, but Rich stood in her way.

He said: "She pushed past him and he reacted by punching her once in the face. She described it as a 'proper punch', which resulted in her 'seeing stars' and knocking her to the floor. When she woke up, she couldn't feel that side of her face."

Woman B went to hospital, but told doctors she had hit her face on a metal chair, which had caused bruising and a bleed on her left eye.

Mr Cockrell said an X-ray revealed she had suffered "depressed fractures in the left lower margin of the eye socket and left cheek bone arch".

The victim returned to work but CCTV cameras showed Rich enter the store on Boxing Day, go behind the till, grab her and push her into some boxes, when her eye injury was still "clearly visible".

Over the next few days, Rich sent her texts, including "I am gunna break ur face for u", "U think ur funny were did u go last nyt am gunna punch ur head in a fat mess" and "U fat mut I am gunna ruin ya slag u was in tha taxi ya slut Il be in soon am gunna knock you out".

On December 29 he carried out another assault, again captured on CCTV.

Mr Cockrell said: "In what was clearly a planned attack, he arrived in a taxi, strode into the shop with a tin of paint and proceeded to throw it over [Woman B].

"This happened whilst a colleague looked on in horror."

A friend of Woman B called police after seeing photos of her injuries, but Rich again remained silent when arrested and interviewed.

Rich, of Conway Street, Birkenhead, admitted burglary with intent to cause damage two weeks before a trial.

He admitted assault causing actual bodily harm on the opening day of a trial, having previously admitted harassment, two counts of battery and two counts of criminal damage.

Mr Cockrell said Woman A made a statement in which she tried to "minimise" the impact of the burglary and take blame for it.

Woman B read out a statement in court, explaining she had already suffered from anxiety, depression and emotionally unstable personality disorder.

She told the court since Rich's abuse she had tried to kill herself three times and had her medication increased.

Woman B said: "I suffer vivid flashbacks. I feel like I'm being attacked by Damien Rich. I'm in a constant state of high alert."

The woman said she was awaiting a diagnosis of PTSD, but stopped getting treatment for her facial fractures.

She added: "I can't feel my teeth, I've lost feeling in my jaw, but I just can't face going back and explaining it again."

Rich has 20 previous convictions for 28 offences, including wounding, attempted robbery and possessing an offensive weapon, and assaulting emergency workers.

Anna Duke, defending, said the hotel attack was a "gross overreaction" by Rich to being pushed by Woman B.

She said he suffered from depression and ADHD and from a young age witnessed domestic violence.

Ms Duke said: "It's not unusual for young men who have seen domestic violence from a young age to thereafter become the perpetrator themselves."

She said Rich, who had been in custody for nine and a half months, described his own actions as "disgusting and disgraceful".

Judge Andrew Menary, QC, told Rich: "The circumstances of this offending seem to indicate that you are a violent, cowardly bully who has an appalling attitude currently towards others, especially women with whom you're having a relationship."

He added: "All of these offences are seriously aggravated because they arise out of and amount to domestic abuse."

Damien Rich, 28, of Conway Street, Birkenhead (Liverpool Echo)

The judge said Rich told a probation officer the burglary at Woman A's home happened "because at the time you were off your head on cocaine and felt in some way she was being disloyal or unfaithful to you".

He said: "She says you're someone who needs help and are not all bad."

Judge Menary said Rich left Woman B with facial fractures and potential nerve damage, sent her "vile threatening messages", and throwing paint over her was "shocking".

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He said: "You plainly have a poor family background with a history of you yourself being the victim of abuse and violence, with a lack of real support.

"It may well be that has made you something of the person you are today, but your record of past offences of violence cannot be ignored."

Judge Menary jailed him for three years and nine months, and made an indefinite restraining order to protect Woman B.

If you have been affected by any issues mentioned in this article, you can contact the Domestic Violence Helpline for free on 0808 2000 247 or any of the following organisations:

Women’s Aid

Refuge

White Ribbon

ALICAS

People can also call Merseyside Police on 101 or, if they are in immediate danger, call 999.

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