A terrified woman was scarred for life on her face after her binge-drinking ex-boyfriend hurled a glass at her from close range, causing it to shatter on impact and leave her covered in blood.
Self-confessed “bully” Leon Salter had a history of violence against women and he had an “evil” look on his face during the “nasty” attack, leaving the woman suffering “horrific” injuries. The glassing happened minutes after she was knocked unconscious when he viciously punched her during a heated argument, Hull Crown Court heard.
Salter, 38, of Berkshire Street, east Hull, admitted wounding the woman with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assaulting her causing actual bodily harm and sending her malicious communications.
Holly Thompson, prosecuting, said that Salter and the woman were in a relationship for about eight months and, after it ended, they remained civil. He recognised that he had a drink problem. They met at her home on October 7 to discuss getting back together. Both were drinking but she later wanted to go to sleep.
Salter called her “nasty names” and punched her in the face once, causing her to become unconscious for a time. When she regained consciousness, she got off the bed to try to get away but Salter picked up a glass and threw it at her from close quarters. It shattered on impact, leaving blood all over her face and on his hand.
Salter had an “evil” look on his face and became aggressive but he did offer her a towel to use. She allowed him to clean off her bleeding. The police arrived but Salter convinced them that he was not responsible and that she caused her own injuries.
He was, however, given a domestic violence protection order but he breached it and was later jailed for 14 days, the court heard. A day after the order expired, he sent the woman abusive messages between November 8 and 9, including: “You’re a rat. Let’s hope I don’t see you.”
The woman later said that she had been left with scars on her nose and chin. “I believe I will now have these scars for the rest of my life,” she said. “He has altered my appearance and it’s me that will have to live with this. I just want to live a normal life like everybody else.”
She lived in fear of Salter and no longer felt safe in her home. “It upsets me to be there,” she said. She avoided the area of Holderness Road because she was worried that she might bump into Salter. He was supposed to care for her at the time but he acted otherwise. “It plagues my mind when I am trying to sleep,” she said. She suffered nightmares.
Salter had convictions for 17 previous offences, including eight involving assaults. They included assaults against ex-girlfriends or other women.
Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Salter tried to help the woman after the incident. “It was behaviour that he very much regretted and regretted at the time,” said Miss Scott. “He has shown genuine regret and remorse for his actions.”
Salter was “not a very nice person” when he had been drinking and, at those times, he could not control his emotions and “behaved terribly” but, when he was sober and working, he seemed to be a “thoroughly pleasant young man”.
He had now “put aside drinking” and he took full responsibility for his actions. The relationship became “toxic” and he lashed out in anger, causing the injuries.
“If he could turn the clock back and this hadn’t happened, he would do that in a heartbeat,” said Miss Scott. “He knows that binge drinking is a problem. He fell back into a spiral of negative thinking.
“He recognises that he is someone who could be categorised as a bully and that’s something he is deeply ashamed of. The defendant wants to stop this cycle. He doesn’t want to be a bully any longer.”
Recorder Ayesha Smart said that Salter “turned nasty” after drinking a considerable amount of alcohol. He threw a glass and it shattered, causing “horrific” injuries.
“It’s clear that there has been a considerable impact on her,” said Recorder Smart. “She can no longer live at her address. She is worried about starting relationships with others. You have altered her physical appearance for life.
“It’s clear that you have an issue with women. You had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol and taken several tablets.”
Salter, who had been in custody on remand, was jailed for four years and 11 months. He was given a 10-year restraining order.