Malton man jailed for vicious attack on partner who he bit on nose and punched repeatedly

Anthony Croft, 26, hit the named victim over the head in her kitchen with what initially appeared to be some kind of “weapon”, rained punches on her in the lounge and then bit her on the nose during a third vicious attack in the woman’s bedroom, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Calum McNicholas said the drink-fuelled attack occurred after the then couple, who had been together for nearly two years, returned from The Hyde Park pub in Norton on March 3 last year.

Croft had been “sleeping off…eight pints of strong lager, two ports and a joint of cannabis” when he was awoken and had a blazing row with his partner which turned physical.

The court heard that the victim “remembered little (of the attack) save for being in the kitchen and being struck on her head”.

She only knew she had been struck with “something” and “heard a smash” but wasn’t sure what that was.

Mr McNicholas said the inference was that “some kind of weapon” was used, although Croft denied using any such object and the prosecution ultimately accepted this because it couldn’t be proved that a weapon had been used.

After receiving the “heavy blow” to the head, the next thing the victim remembered was being laid out in the living room where Croft repeatedly banged her head against the laminate floor, apparently after grabbing her by the ears.

The attack then moved on to the victim’s bedroom where he punched her in the face “numerous times” and bit her on the nose, causing a wound which left her with permanent scarring and a bobble.

Mr McNicholas said that during the attack, a neighbour heard shouting and screaming and the victim telling Croft to get out of her house.

The neighbour later found the victim with “blood running down her face” and took her to her mother’s house.

She was then taken to York District Hospital where she was treated for bruising to her arm and eye socket, tenderness to her cheek and the nose wound.

Croft, of Middleton Close, Settrington, was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and ultimately admitted the offence.

He appeared for sentence at York Crown Court on Thursday, February 29.

In a statement which she read out in court, the victim said she was now “very (self) conscious” about the permanent scar and bobble on her nose.

She said the relationship had been a happy one until the attack, but now her self-confidence had been “severely dented” which made life hard for her as a working woman.

She said that at one point during the attack, when Croft was about to clamp down on her nose with his teeth, she feared for her life.

She had since sought counselling, was on anti-depressants and her social life had been affected.

Liz Waby, Croft’s solicitor advocate, said her client had a hitherto-clean record and there had never been any previous violence in the relationship which ended following the attack.

She said that Croft was genuinely remorseful and character references attested to his being a “hard-working, well-liked and respected” man.

Ms Waby said that if Croft were jailed, he would lose his job as a steel erector.

Judge Simon Hickey said he agreed with the prosecution that there was no conclusive evidence that Croft had used a weapon to strike the victim and pointed to the fact that no fragments from any such subject had been found on her head.

He said although Croft had led a “very industrious” life and was genuinely remorseful for his actions, only an immediate jail sentence could be justified “for this type of attack on a young woman in her own home”.

Croft will serve half of the 16-month jail sentence behind bars before being released on prison licence.

He was also made subject to a seven-year restraining order banning him from contacting the victim or going to The Hyde Park pub where the victim was a patron.