Jarrow man jailed for launching a 45-minute attack on his partner who needed hospital treatment following the ordeal

Dean Tweedie's victim was left bruised across her body and face, had a bite mark on her nose and was unable to open her eye after the savage violence in her home.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Tweedie was already on a suspended prison sentence for assaulting the same woman when he attacked her in January.

Tweedie, 38, of Blenkinsop Grove, Jarrow, admitted assault and has now been jailed for two years and eight months.

Judge Robert Spragg told him: "This was a cowardly, unprovoked and sustained attack on your partner.

"You should be thoroughly ashamed."

Prosecutor Joe Culley told the court the couple, who were together around four years, had been at the woman's home when he started calling her names without reason and she suspected he had taken drugs.

Mr Culley said: "She took herself to the kitchen to get out of his way but he followed and the shouting continued.

"She was beginning to fear for her safety.

"He then grabbed her and proceeded to repeatedly punch her to the left side of her face, to her eye and over her body. He bit her nose, causing pain.

"She was by then on the floor and the punches and kicks around her body continued for about 45 minutes.

"It stopped when he saw the extent of the injuries he caused and started to cry.

"It was only at this stage she was able to escape from the back door."

Mr Culley said the victim had bruising "all over her body" and swelling to the left side of her face. She needed a hospital procedure on her nose as a result of the attack.

In a victim statement the woman said she was left in "physical and emotional pain", feeling unsafe and nervous and "walking like a zombie".

The court heard as well as the previous conviction for attacking the same woman, Tweedie has served a prison sentence in the past for an assault on a different partner.

David Callan, defending, said: "He does accept, particularly when he has had cocaine and or alcohol, he has problems with relationships."

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