Swindon man stamped on partner's face and twisted her arm till it broke

A Swindon man has been jailed for a series of assaults on his partner over a two-year period.

In September last year, Lee Griffiths twisted his partner's arm until it snapped, leaving her with a sling for four months.

Three months later, he punched and stamped on her face whilst wearing shoes, causing severe bruising and a broken nose.

Appearing at Swindon Crown Court last week, the 43-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to several counts of GBH just one month before the case was due to go before a jury.

An indefinite restraining order was also granted by the judge.

Police say Griffiths launched multiple assaults on his partner, isolating her from friends, family and organisations which could help her.

When his victim attempted to call 999 on one occasion, he was heard making threats to kill her in the background of the call. He also repeated the threats to kill her in front of police officers. He also made threats to set fire to her house, as well as the homes of her family.

Det Con Lily Cockerill said: "Griffiths was responsible for a terrifying series of assaults and threats towards his own partner who he should have loved and cared for – instead, she suffered for two years of her life.

"Griffiths isolated his partner from support agencies who could have helped her escape his abuse, and instead continued to be violent and threatening, leaving his victim with broken bones and feeling isolated, frightened and worthless.

"After breaking his partner’s arm, he stopped her from sleeping in her own bed and instead made her sleep on a small sofa, while he enjoyed the comfort of her bed. This type of controlling and violent behaviour is completely shocking and will not be tolerated within our community.

"I hope this sentence sends a clear message to the public that we are committed to putting perpetrators in front of the courts so justice can be served.

"Finally, I would like to commend the victim for finding the strength to stand up to her partner and seek help from the police."