Volatile Wakefield thug smeared dirty cat litter over partner’s face and threw hot drinks over her

Jealous Darren McTiernan also deactivated her social media accounts, used violence frequently and threatened to “take her somewhere so her family would never find her”.

At Leeds Crown Court the 47-year-old admitted two counts of actual bodily harm, coercive control, common assault and criminal damage all related to his former partner.

He had been living with the woman for two years but last year he started to become violent, lashing out at her, prosecutor Ben Whittingham told the court.

McTiernan, of Ashwood Green, Havercroft, near Wakefield would hit her and caused fractures to her ribs and punched to the face to cause black eyes. She said he would also throw the scalding drinks at her. In the days before Christmas last year, he struck her in the face while he was driving, cutting her, then made the chilling comment about taking her from her family.

Mr Whittingham said he controlled how she spoke to friends then finally gave her the ultimatum to pick him or them. She refused to choose but eventually cut ties with friends over fears for her safety.

On January 14, he lost his temper when she came to find out why he had not come to bed, but he then verbally abused her, bit her hand and squeezed her breast until it bled. He then dragged her about by her hair and shouted at her when she began to cry.

The situation then calmed down, but at around noon he began to call her names again, grabbed her hair and dragged her off the bed. She tried to leave but he had hidden her keys, with Mr Whittingham saying at this point she was “frightened for her life”.

McTiernan then grabbed a clump of cat litter and smeared it over face and hair. After finally managing to escape the house he went after her in his car demanding she get in. When she refused, he spun the car round forcing her to dive out of the way.

When she finally did return home, she hid in the bathroom but McTiernan kicked the door so hard it split, and he then leaned in and hit her.

He has 26 previous convictions for 87 offences, with the last three violent convictions being domestic related.

Mitigating, Laura Addy said he knew he would be handed a lengthy sentence. She said he has a “sorry history” and had a “difficult start in life” having been brought up in care where he was abused.

She added: “It’s perhaps not an excuse but an understanding where these matters arose. He is a man who hold everything in and does not deal with his emotions.”

The judge, Recorder Richard Woolfall jailed him for 32 months and gave him a five-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim, calling him a “jealous individual”.