Man back in jail after threatening to 'murder' partner from Flintshire and 'drink her blood'

Matthew Winstanley is currently serving a prison sentence for the battery of Brittany Gannon Credit: Daily Post Wales

A man who was jailed for attacking his former partner is back behind bars after threatening to kill her and 'drink her blood'.

Matthew Winstanley, 31, of Alderwood Avenue in Liverpool, was made subject to a year-long restraining order when he was jailed for kicking and stamping on his former partner's face.

Prosecutor Brian Treadwell said Mr Winstanley's ex-partner Brittany Gannon, from Greenfield, Flintshire, had wanted to "continue their relationship" when he came out of prison but the judge overruled this for her own safety and wellbeing.

Despite the order remaining in place, Winstanley breached it by sending letters to Ms Gannon whilst he was behind bars.

Mr Winstanley pleaded guilty at Mold Crown Court Credit: PA

Once the relationship began again in January 2023, he would binge on alcohol and drugs and become violent again, Mold Crown Court heard.The court heard how he would let himself into Ms Gannon's home in the early hours of the morning with a key he refused to hand back to her. He also threatened to "murder" the mum and "drink her blood", Mr Treadwell said.Winstanley also left "vulgar" and abusive voice messages on Miss Gannon's phone, threatening to "bury an axe in her" and saying he'd "leather" Ms Gannon and her mother.

The judge was told that the defendant also insulted Miss Gannon's young daughter.Defending, Dafydd Roberts, said he did not seek to minimise how frightening such "unpleasant" threats would have been to the victim.

He told the judge that Winstanley was "on a spiral of self destruction" at the time, also abusing alcohol and cocaine.

Judge Nicola Saffman acknowledged that Miss Gannon clearly had "very strong feelings" for the defendant that wanted to rekindle their relationship but accepts something had to be done to protect her and her family from the defendant.

She imposed an extra two years and eight months on top of an already ongoing sentence and created a fresh restraining order, banning him from having contact with Miss Gannon, her daughter or mother for the next eight years.Winstanley, who is currently serving a prison sentence for the battery of Ms Gannon, pleaded guilty to harassment and breaching a restraining order.