A Great Harwood man who had a history of domestic abuse has avoided jail despite a violent attack on his ex-partner at a Manchester hotel.
Christopher Haycock, 37, of Lowerfold, appeared at Manchester Crown Court to be sentenced for one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The charges related to an incident on October 30, 2022, when the defendant and his partner at the time had travelled to Manchester to attend a 90s-themed night at the AO Arena.
Both had been drinking on the night, which the victim had initially described as “perfect” and returned to their hotel.
However, after reaching the hotel, Haycock began to verbally abuse her to provoke her and wouldn't let her sleep, resulting in the woman wanting to leave.
Blocking the doorway, the defendant didn’t allow her out, and as she tried to squeeze past him, he threw her against a wardrobe, causing her to black out.
Recorder David Wood said: “I have no doubt that what you did to her was not felt self -defence and that was a lie you told to the jury.
“You got angry and threw her into a wardrobe as she was trying to leave the room, and she banged her head.
"She had extensive bruising, and she also suffered a painful injury to her lower back.”
As she came around, instead of helping her, the victim saw the defendant standing over her with his arms folded.
Making a second attempt to flee, she was thrown into a table before Haycock left the hotel room.
The victim went to hospital and obtained several bruises across her body.
In her victim impact statement, the woman told the court, said: “Since the assault in 2022, my mental health has significantly deteriorated and remains severe.
“The long wait for trial has meant I have now spent four years thinking about what would happen in court and what it has done to me as a person and how my life has changed, and I will never be the person I once was ever again.
“There are nights where I can’t switch off; I overthink everything, and a lack of rest has an impact on my ability to function day-to-day. I have been prescribed medication, yet I continue to face challenges with my mental well-being.
“I attempted another relationship, but because of my trauma and mental health difficulties, I feel guarded and building any new connections feels almost impossible.
“I am not the same person I was before I was with Christopher. The violence and its aftermath have fundamentally changed this and me as a person.
“I want everyone to recognise the person he is, a violent and horrible individual, so I can continue the hard work to rebuild my stability, my sense of safety and my life.”
The court heard that Haycock had two previous convictions for assaults on partners.
Recorder Wood said: “There is a legitimate argument that a person who hits a woman for a third time should have a custodial punishment.
"If I had been sentencing you in 2023, I would have needed a lot of persuasion not to send you to prison immediately.”
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Patrick Williamson, mitigating, said Haycock clearly had an issue in how he conducts relationships, but added that at the time of the offending he was struggling with health concerns regarding his parents.
Mr Williamson said: “It is not a justification, but it explains why after such a long period of time, he offended for a second time.”
Haycock was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, suspended for two years.
He was subject to a restraining order for five years, ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, complete 120 alcohol abstinence days and engage with probation for 12 months.
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