Michael White: Face of callous domestic abuser who beat partner & left her with irreversible eyesight damage

This is the face of a callous man who subjected his then-girlfriend to such a violent beating that she was left with 'irreversible' damage to her eye.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how after attacking his girlfriend, the complainant, at his Barnsley home, Michael White then called the police and attempted to claim that he had been forced to assault her after she became 'aggressive' towards him. 

Judge Rachael Harrison told the 48-year-old: "You tried to undermine her ability to contact the police, by phoning them first and lying to them, showing your tendency for manipulation."

Prosecutor, Aaron Dinnes, told a January 30, 2024 hearing that White had only reconciled with the complainant a day before she visited his home on January 17, 2023. 

Mr Dinnes said that while there, White 'took umbrage' to the complainant using her phone in his presence, and began accusing her of ‘being with’ other men.

An argument subsequently broke out, continuing after they woke up the following morning, the court heard. 

It was then that White, of Beevor Court, Barnsley, proceeded to assault the complainant, using his head, fists and elbows to attack her. 

"The defendant, seemingly trying to cover up what he had done, called the police and said in fact that the complainant was being aggressive and he had to assault her to restrain her. The 999 operators heard her crying out," Mr Dinnes told the court, adding that when the emergency services subsequently attended at the property they found her lying on the floor with 'significant injuries'. 

The complainant was taken to hospital, and was found to have suffered a number of injuries in the attack including 'severe swelling and bruising to the face,' contusions and a large haematoma to the right eye. 

During a subsequent assessment at the hospital’s ophthalmology department, medics concluded she had suffered retinal detachment which would require surgery, however the complainant later said the surgery had not been possible. 

In her statement to the court, the complainant said the damage caused means that she cannot make out 'people’s faces, writing or signs' with her right eye, something she was concerned would affect future job prospects and could mean she will not be able to achieve her long-standing goal of learning to drive. 

The complainant also detailed the psychological impact of White’s offending, detailing how she now 'flinches' at the slightest movement, affecting her relationships with friends and family.

She also said everything about the assault, and the relationship that preceded it, upsets her, including 'how far' White took it.  

Despite his initial claims to police, White subsequently pleaded guilty to a Section 20 grievous bodily harm charge in connection with the assault.

He has a criminal record of some 20 previous offences, although he does not have any previous convictions for violence. 

Mr Dinnes told the court that White also had to be sentenced for theft for stealing a pressure washer from his friend’s workplace on September 10, 2022, and for failure to surrender on January 18, 2024, after admitting to both charges at an earlier hearing. 

Defending, Eleanor Mitten, said White now 'resiles' from denials made to the author of his pre-sentence report, and both understands, and feels remorse for, the impact of his assault upon the complainant.

Ms Mitten said White has worked to bring his use of Class A drugs down, going from using significant quantities of crack cocaine every day, to only using it every few days. 

Sentencing White to 33 months' imprisonment, Judge Harrison told him: "You left her with significant visible injuries, irreversible damage to her sight, as well as other psychological effects."

Judge Harrison also granted a restraining order which prohibits White from contacting the complainant for a period of five years.