A former soldier has been called a dangerous “wife batterer” by a judge after committing a series of domestic violence offences over the last six years.

Liam Fishwick, 31, was convicted in 2018, 2019, and then jailed in 2022 for violent attacks on his partner and mother of his two young children.

Burnley Crown Court heard he was released from his most recent sentence last year and was let back into the family home, but in January things took a turn for the worse when he threw a plate at his partner’s leg.

Lancashire Telegraph: Liam FishwickLiam Fishwick (Image: Lancs Police)

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said: “On January 17, the defendant and his partner were at home in Hood Street, Accrington.

“They had been drinking vodka throughout the night with Fishwick leaving to go and buy a bottle of sambuca which they shared.

“The defendant fell asleep in the living room and then woke up in a foul mood and began calling his partner every name under the sun.

“He started throwing stuff around but in particular he picked up a plate and threw it at her.

“It hit her on the right leg between the knee and the shin and shattered and caused an injury to her leg.”

The court heard how the police and ambulance service were called, with the victim expressing how terrified she was of Fishwick.

Mr Parker went on: “She said he had seemed fine when he came out of jail but then things happened again and it was the drink that triggered him.

“In a victim personal statement she said she no longer wanted to live in that house as it reminded her of the incident.

“She said she’d put up with this for six years and finally enough was enough.”

Fishwick has previous convictions for similar offences against his partner dating back to 2018 and 2019, and was jailed in 2022 for common assault on her.

Judge Andrew Jefferies said: “He might say sorry the first time but when it comes to the seventh or eighth time the words become rather shallow don’t they?"

“You are, what we would say in old terms, a wife batterer, it’s as simple as that and I make a finding of dangerousness.”

Fishwick, formerly of Bury Street, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm and was jailed for 14 months.

Judge Jefferies had originally wanted to impose an extended sentence on Fishwick after deeming him a dangerous offender, but current legislation prevented him from doing so, so he will now be subject to post sentence supervision upon his release.

He was also handed a three-year restraining order.