A drunken thug with a history of domestic violence repeatedly grabbed and bit his ex-girlfriend after she refused to kiss him.
Johnathon Derby, 37, "badly beat up" his former girlfriend during an incident at her Liverpool flat on May 25 this year, one month after they broke up, leaving her with nasty bruises. Liverpool Crown Court heard that Derby, who had been drinking, had visited the unnamed woman after the two agreed to talk, but the arranged meeting quickly turned violent.
Derby grabbed the woman's head and started shaking her after she refused to kiss him, and proceeded to bite her on her left arm and back. His victim fell to the floor and "pleaded with the defendant to stop" when Derby sat on top of her before he got up to leave and buy more alcohol, the court heard.
The victim, who prosecutor Andrew McInnes said was left "scared traumatised and frightened" that Derby might return to her home, then left for her neighbour's property, from where she called the police two days later. Mr McInnes said she was left "struggling to eat and go out" and has since left her flat "as a consequence of the assault".
Dad-of-four Derby, the court heard, had 16 previous convictions for 25 offences, among them the assault of another former partner. He was due to stand trial on November 20, but changed his plea last minute, admitting to assault causing actually bodily harm. Defending, Brendan Carville said Derby had fathered one of his four children with the woman whom he assaulted.
He said: "It has to be said that although he has a record, there's a 10 year gap between offending in 2009 and 2019. That is to his credit, as is a five year gap between 2019 and today's matters. He's demonstrated he can keep out of trouble and watch his temper. He is the father of four children; one with this lady and three with another lady.
"He indicates in due course he hopes again to have the joy of seeing these three children when he is released." Mr Carville added that, while waiting in custody for the last five months, Derby has completed a welding course that will allow him to provide for his children.
He continued: "He's been in custody 131 days, almost five months, the equivalent of a 10 month sentence. In custody he has completed a welding course and the advantage of that is he has been told by a friend he will employ him in that capacity, as a welder. He has a poor employment record but he will be able to earn money and pay for his children."
Judge Andrew Menary sentenced Derby to 16 months in prison and passed a two-year restraining order banning him from contacting his victim. In a statement, the judge said he "badly" beat up his ex-girlfriend, and that the assault was "particularly unpleasant". He said: "On May 25 this year you went to (the victim's) home for the reason, it seems, of speaking to her, and it may well be you were affected by drink.
"But whatever the reason, an argument developed and in the course of that you had badly beat her up. You were involved in not only assaulting her, but biting her. That's a particularly unpleasant thing for anybody to do, never mind an adult man like you."