A savage and cowardly Valentine's Day "lunatic" left his partner with a brain injury and a "perfect" print of his slipper sole on her forehead.
Gavin Devine flew into an "uncontrollable, jealous frenzy" while the couple were drinking wine at home on February 14 last year. A court heard his terrifying attack has left the mum with life-changing impairment in brain function.
The victim's glasses were damaged during the violence, which left her unable to see where the harmful blows, including stamps to her head, were coming from. A judge at Newcastle Crown Court said Devine behaved like a "lunatic" that night and told him: "You could have killed that woman".
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Prosecutor Richard Herrmann told the court the trouble started when Devine began arguing about the woman's ex partner while they were at home in North Tyneside. Mr Herrmann told the court: "She was sitting on the floor, near the radiator. He punched her, hard in the face, causing immediate pain.
"She was sitting down but still lost her balance and fell backwards, hitting her head off the radiator. Then ensued a sustained assault. She recalls being dragged around the living room by her hair and later reported hair loss."
Mr Herrmann said the victim was grabbed by the throat and slapped to her face and added: "She recalls being kicked and stamped to the forehead." The court heard Devine picked up a knife and issued threats but did not use the weapon.
Mr Herrmann added: "She recalls him punching the living room door off its hinges and damage was caused to her glasses and dishwasher. She recalls being frozen in fear, genuinely scared for her life. She recalls that the defendant was in such a frenzied state, full of anger, his eyes protruding out of his head, red-faced. She was convinced he would kill her."
Mr Herrmann said a scan showed the victim had a small bleed to the left side of her brain as well as swelling and bruising across her body and the slipper print on her forehead. The court heard she was diagnosed with post concussion syndrome, which gives her flashbacks, nightmares, memory problems and impaired brain function.
In a victim statement, the woman said the attack was "unprovoked, vicious and sustained" and added: "I wasn't only terrified, totally shocked and in real fear but also unable to see, which made me more afraid." She said she no longer feels like the same person and does not know how long her problems will continue.
Devine, 37, of no fixed address, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and criminal damage. Recorder Tony Hawks sentenced him to five years behind bars.
The judge told him: "You worked yourself up into an uncontrollable, jealous frenzy for no reason. You caused significant damage to the house, smashing property and then you launched a savage and cowardly attack. She was struck and stamped on.
"Her head was stamped on and when she was taken to hospital, a perfect footprint of the footwear you were wearing was on her forehead. It was a prolonged incident. She must have been absolutely terrified and thought she might be killed."
Steven Reed, defending, said Devine has never been in trouble before and behaved "out of character". Mr Reed said Devine, who produced character references to the court, has worked hard and supported his children.
