Man who stamped on girlfriends’ head jailed

Craig Cassidy had assaulted Mary Jones earlier the same day while the pair were visiting a friend of Ms Jones in St Leonards Street, Stamford.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said that during that incident Cassidy pushed his partner over and struck her in the face with a walking stick.

Later in the day when the couple were at Ms Jones’ home in Abbott’s Close, Stamford, Cassidy attacked her again.

Mr Howes said “His mood changed from humour to anger. He punched her to the face and stamped on her head. A neighbour heard items being thrown around and police were called.

“Officers arrived at the property. The defendant was riding his bike, taunting police to try and catch him. They caught him and he was restrained on the floor before being taken to the police station.”

Ms Jones was left with a badly swollen face, an injury to her eyelid and blood all around her mouth.

Later Cassidy told officers “She provokes me. I know I shouldn’t have done it. I’ll do my bird and sit in my prison cell. I know what I did. I’m ashamed of it.”

Cassidy, 47, of Sparkenhoe Street, Leicester, admitted charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating on 7 May this year. He admitted a further charge of assault by beating arising from an incident on 1 February when he attacked Ms Jones on Stamford High Street.

Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, told Cassidy “The assault in Ms Jones’ home was a sustained and repeated assault. It is utterly unacceptable. Plainly it must be a custodial sentence.”

Mark Watson, in mitigation, said Cassidy had problems with drink and substance abuse in the past.

“This was a toxic relationship. She has been writing to him in prison but he has not responded. He doesn’t want anything to do with her.”