Man's attack on partner was so serious that even he 'gasped' at the sight of her injury
A man hit his partner with such force that she has now been left blind in one eye. Wayne Martin launched the unprovoked attack on his then partner Cheryl Woodfin while she was lying down in bed.
A court heard the injury sustained by the victim was so severe, that the defendant himself "gasped" at the sight of it. The 43-year-old, of Church Street, Connah's Quay, admitted wounding on February 20 and today a judge jailed him for three years and four months.
At Mold Crown Court the judge said the defendant's "dreadful" behaviour towards Ms Woodfin lasted 14 months. The judge, His Honour Niclas Parry, said it began when Martin punched her "tellingly, to the eye".
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Months later he kicked her repeatedly before his victim summoned the strength to leave him. But, the court heard he "had a hold over her" and they got back together. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here
The judge noted Ms Woodfin described Martin as "loving" normally but it was a mask. On February 20 she was laying face down when he punched her to the back of the head.
She screamed in pain and when she turned around he punched her in the eye. The judge said: "You punched her with such force that the injury to her eye was so obviously serious that even you gasped and you began apologising straight away for what you did.
"It was a dreadfully serious injury. As a result the victim has lost the sight in her eye. It has had a devastating effect on her life. She needs day to day assistance on mobility issues and she has lost her employment."
She was expecting to have to tell her story in public until Martin pleaded guilty just before the trial, the court heard. The judge noted that he did not intend to cause such a serious injury and even his victim accepts that.
He has no previous convictions and there is another side to his character. Jailing the defendant, the judge also made an indefinite restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his victim or referring to her on social media.
Earlier Adam Antoszkiw, defending, said Martin had been in a relationship with a different woman for 20 years with no issues but when he got into a relationship with the victim it "brought out the worst in him" and he drank to excess.
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