Rainworth man smashed woman’s face into road after serving sentence for assaulting her
A Rainworth man who smashed a woman’s face into the road after biting and abusing her had been released from a prison sentence for assaulting and stalking her, a court has heard.
Reece Stirland chased his victim across Southwell Road East and slammed her to the ground by her hair when she tried to find refuge in the Nisa shop on May 5, said prosecutor Abigail Hill.
A passing dog walker pushed him off her and Stirland fled, stealing a Michael Kors watch and a Google Pixel mobile phone from her car, but handed himself into police two days later claiming his victim had been on drugs.
The court heard they had been in an on-off relationship for five years and Stirland was jailed in 2022 for very similar offences.
After his release they fell back into old habits and began to meet up. On the morning of the assault an argument developed after he asked her if she had been involved with other people.
When she locked her car door he punched the driver’s side window and grabbed her hair as she tried to escape.
He forced her to stop by climbing on to the car bonnet and ordered her to drive away.
Ms Hill said Stirland bit his victim’s left earlobe, causing “significant” pain, and was “switching between apology and verbal abuse” throughout the attack.
She was left with lacerations on her chin and nose, a snapped tooth, and bite marks on her ear lobe and armpit.
Nottingham Crown Court heard Stirland has nine previous convictions for 22 offences including violence, criminal damage and breaching court orders.
Raglan Ashton, mitigating, said: "His best mitigation is his early guilty plea. He takes full responsibility for his actions.”
He conceded it was a “deeply unpleasant incident” but argued the injuries weren't in the most serious category.
He said Stirland, a father of two, has been in a long-term relationship with another woman and his offending is born out of addictions to drink and drugs.
Stirland, 32, of First Avenue, Rainworth, admitted theft, criminal damage and causing actual bodily harm on May 9.
Jailing him for 20 months on Thursday, Recorder Simon Ash KC said the offending was more serious because it happened in a domestic setting and noted Stirland poses a medium risk to others.