South Yorkshire man terrorised his on-off girlfriend because he thought she was sleeping with other men

Ben Dearden left the woman needing hospital treatment in the fourth and final attack, where he kept her imprisoned in her flat and beat her endlessly, Sheffield Crown Court was told on Friday, February 19.

In the first incident, dating from October 2019, the 43-year-old head-butted her and kicked her on the floor around nine times, and then took her phone from her so she could not call the police, the court heard.

The following day, Dearden assaulted her again - forcing her to flee to her mother’s home for safety.

Later in the month, Dearden had seen the woman in the street and told her, “You’re coming with me”. He had taken her to two addresses before they had ended up back at her flat in Norwood Street, Rotherham, where he had been staying, and assaulted her again - this time by headbutting her and jamming his fingers into her eyes.

Describing the final incident, which took place the following month, prosecutor Camille Morland told the court: “He came up to speak to her and asked if they could go back to her flat so he could collect some property.

“He was in the bedroom when he became angry and again started accusing her of sleeping with other men. He started slapping her to the face, and this went on for about 15 minutes.

“He held some scissors to her throat and her eye became cut and he punched her to the face. She thought she was going to die at that point. He punched her in the mouth, splitting her lip, and pushed her against a wall. He told her, ‘I’m going to end up doing time for you for murder.”

She told the court that Dearden, of no fixed address, had also used a knife to threaten the woman, who only escaped when he went out to the shop.

Dearden admitted two counts of common assault, wounding with intent, false imprisonment and theft on the day his trial was meant to begin. The court heard that he told police, when arrested, that the woman had attacked him and had received the injuries while he was defending himself.

The court heard that Dearden had 36 previous convictions for a total of 119 offences - many for violence and violence against women, but also for drugs and motoring.

Mitigating, Tim Savage told the Court: “They had been in a relationship for around two years - it was an on-off relationship where they didn’t live together but he sometimes stayed at her house.

“They both lived the chaotic lives of those who take drugs. He didn’t see this as a relationship, and he still doesn’t.

“He has been locked in his cell for 23-and-a-half hours a day and gets to shower twice a week.”

Jailing Dearden for 40 months, Recorder Paul Reid told him: “For many years, you have been a man who is violent by nature, particularly towards women who are unfortunate enough to have a relationship with you. This was a campaign of violence and this woman was clearly terrified of you.”

He also issued a restraining order to run indefinitely.

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