Sheffield thug drank four bottles of wine then stuck his thumbs into vulnerable girlfriend's eyes

A violent South Yorkshire thug subjected his vulnerable girlfriend to a terrifying attack after downing four bottles of wine, Sheffield Crown Court has heard.
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Ben Taylor moved in with the woman after meeting her on Facebook three weeks earlier, but his behaviour was "worrying from the start" as he began checking her phone and threatening to burn the house down.

Prosecutor Hannah Walker said Taylor became abusive and spat in the woman’s face after accusing her of lying about where some cigarettes were and stealing his wine, at 10pm on February 16, this year.

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Taylor drank four bottles of wine, she said, then beat the woman on the head with a metal broomstick, slapped her, and pulled her into the bedroom by the hair, where he stuck his thumbs into her eyes.

Ben TaylorBen Taylor
Ben Taylor

He punched her around 12 times in the head when she was on the ground and then "totally destroyed her flat.”

He kicked holes in the walls, smashing furniture and causing £200 of damage.

Taylor's victim fled and took a taxi to her mother's house. She suffered a black eye, multiple bruising and swelling, numerous small cuts and her little fingernail had been ripped from the nail bed.

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The court heard he has nine previous convictions for 15 offences dating back to 2011 and had served short sentences for breaching orders.

"It becomes apparent there are previous convictions for violence against former partners," Ms Walker said.

Andrew Smith, mitigating, said Taylor was genuinely remorseful.

"He feels disgusted with himself," he said. "He behaved in an appalling way.

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"Although there is a long gap in his offending he accepts there have been domestic incidents in the past. He has been in custody for six months.”

Taylor, 28, of Hallwood Road, Chapeltown, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

Judge Michael Slater said Taylor had "real difficulty in controlling his temper in close relationships" and that it was a "shocking and sustained attack."

He sentenced him to 18 months in prison and imposed a three-year restraining order.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

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