A thug slashed his own throat with a knife in a twisted attempt to frame his ex-girlfriend following a sickening attack in which he stamped on her head, dropped a TV on her and poured paint on her.
Scott Hughes, 27, battered the woman when she tried pack her things and leave him.
As she lay badly injured on the floor, Hughes cut his neck with a knife in a warped bid to make it look as though he had acted in self-defence.
"I’m going to tell people this was what you have done to me," Hughes told the woman.
The victim was left with a badly bruised face; two ‘blow out’ fractured eye sockets; and nasal fractures.
Her best friend didn't recognise her when she visited her in hospital, following the attack on March 24 last year.
Hughes tried to clean the woman in the shower to 'dispose of the evidence'. When she tried to leave, he stopped her, pinned her into a corner and kicked her, before stamping on her head.
In a statement, the woman said: “I may have since recovered medically, I am now seeking counselling as a consequence of the assault.
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''I was unable to work for three months after the assault due to the severity of the injuries and my extreme anxiety.”
Hughes, from Northern Moor, Wythenshawe, has a string of previous convictions for violence.
He was found guilty of inflicting GBH with intent following a trial in which he denied wrongdoing. He claimed he had acted in self defence when the victim came at him with a knife.
After being sentenced to 14 years, Hughes was led away, shouting: "This is bulls***, a load of bulls***."
'This was an act of a despicable, dishonest and devious man'
Judge Patrick Field QC earlier told him: “This was not self defence, this was an act of a despicable, dishonest and devious man.
“Throughout this relationship you behaved in a jealous and controlling manner and this behaviour turned to extreme violence.
''You misinterpreted what was said between [her] and a friend and you flew into what can only be described as a jealous rage.
''Initially it was just verbal rage then you launched a vicious and prolonged assault upon her that involved punching her repeatedly in the face, striking her with a flat screen TV, pouring paint on her, kicking her in the head and body and at one point as she was curling up on the floor of the bedroom, you also pulled a wardrobe over her.
“Throughout the attack you were abusive and continued to degrade and humiliate her.
"During the hull of violence you ushered her into the bedroom to continue with the assault but as soon as it became known to you that she still wished to leave, which is hardly surprising in the circumstances, you resumed with the assault upon her by pushing her down the stairs, and punching, kicking and stamping on her again.
“It is unclear how long she was subject to this ordeal in the flat, but this was not a short duration and went on for some hours. In an attempt to establish self defence you inflicted superficial wounds on your neck with a knife. You then persisted throughout the trial on the fact that [she] had attacked you with a knife and you struck her a few times to defend yourself. That was a lie.
“Doctors have concluded that many injuries inflicted by you upon her were sustained and forceful and were perpetrated by you.
“As far as injuries, she suffered both eye sockets which were fractured, known as ‘blow out’, caused by the forceful blows to her eyes. Such was the case with her nose.
"There was a laceration to her inner lip and there was extreme bruising to her face, body and eyes. Such became the bruises that she was unrecognisable to her best friend who visited her in hospital.
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“There is an established history of violent offending and you failing to control your temper which has serious consequences for your victim.
“It is a problem that you fail to acknowledge responsibility for your wrongdoing and you continue to blame others like you continued to blame [her] for what happened.
“The injuries were severe, you kicked and stamped on her with shoes on, your behaviour demonstrates you intended to cause her even more serious harm than in fact she suffered.
“Such was the ferocity of the attack upon her, this was aggravated by your previous convictions. Your behaviour during the attack was such to humiliate her.
"There is a risk that you are dangerous due to the prolonged and extreme violence involved in this offence. Your record recalls a serious of violent offences. There is a high risk of reoffending.''
In mitigation, defence lawyer Gemma Maxwell said: “These are not the most serious injuries that the courts have ever seen, but they are serious in the context of the offence.
''He himself had suffered from domestic violence committed by the complainant including punching and kicking whilst on the ground. I am never suggesting that this defendant was at risk because of the complainant. This was something to do with the ‘slow burn’ effect.
“Their relationship had for some time, a happy secure relationship. Whilst he doesn’t agree with everything that was said in evidence, there is genuine remorse. He doesn’t accept all of the allegations before him.
“He accepts he was responsible for those injuries which he is shocked and deeply sorry.''
Hughes was also issued with an indefinite restraining order, banning him from contacting the woman. He will be on licence until 2037, following his release from jail under the terms of an extended sentence.
