South Shields man inflicted ‘nasty’ injuries to a woman he had known for more than 20 years

Robert Averre threw a rock at the victim before using a cosh on her during the shocking violence outside her home.

Newcastle Crown Court heard she was left with various injuries, including a “nasty” gaping wound to her nose and she was left scarred and traumatised.

The court heard Averre, 33, of Vernon Close in South Shields, had known the victim for more than 20 years, since their childhood, before he attacked her in May.

He pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and having an offensive weapon.

Sentencing him, Recorder Olivia Checa-Dover said: “ In the early hours she went back to her home after receiving information about a disturbance there. That was you.

“When she got out of the taxi, you approached her with a rock on one hand and a cosh in the other. You threw the rock at her, hitting her then hitting her with the cosh and knocking her to the floor.

“You hit her to the arms, chest and legs. She tried to protect herself from you and kicked out.

“She was left with injuries - a nasty, gaping, bleeding wound to the bridge of her nose and had cuts and bruises to her body. The injury to her nose left a permanent scar.”

She said in a victim impact statement that the attack has had a “huge impact” on her life and has left her terrified.

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The judge said: “You were intoxicated and the complainant was vulnerable due to drink and outside her own home when you attacked her. This was a very serious incident and it left her with permanent scarring.

“I’m conscious that the overcrowding in prisons is a factor the court should take into account and the public interest is best served by you serving your sentence in a suspended way, paying back to the community by way of significant unpaid work.”

Averre, was sentenced to 18 months suspended for 18 months with 200 hours unpaid work, rehabilitation and he must pay £1,50 compensation. He was also given an indefinite restraining order.

The court was given references about him and he wrote a letter of apology.

It was said he was suffering from poor mental health at the time and has ADHD and potentially PTSD.