Extremely disturbing news story

[ImperialBlether]

Here is one of the worst news stories I've ever heard.

A man, with a history of domestic violence towards his partner, gouged out her eyes after strangling her and breaking her jaw and nose. He's admitted to GBH and will be sentenced in a month's time.

I can't even think of a suitable sentence. Well, I can, but it isn't one he'll get.

Is it not attempted murder? He strangled her until she lost consciousness and then gouged her eyes out, death was a possibility was it not?

Yes, but they were less likely to get a conviction on a charge of attempted murder (the burden of proof is quite heavy and involves examining motives etc) and more likely to get a GBH conviction (although there will be no trial now since he's pleaded guilty) with the end result that he will be off the streets for the same length of time as he would have if he'd been done for attempted murder. My feeling is that he will be sent down for a life with a recommendation he be assessed for likelihood of re-offending before release. I would think he's probably looking at a life sentence. I hope they won't give him some time for pleading guilty (although I hope they let him believe they would). Not having a trial means that poor woman doesn't have to testify in court.

Hope another con does the decent thing and blinds him as well .

I think the most chilling thing is that even as he did these things to her, he was blaming her for it and for the prison sentence he was going to get. No-one will convince me he didn't spend part of those 12 hours wondering if he could kill her and get away with it, realising that he'd also have to kill her children and deciding he didn't have the nerve, before "allowing" her to escape and seek help. Assuming her eyes were only out of the sockets rather than completely severed, they could probably have been saved if she'd got to a hospital in time- eyes can only be out of socket for so long before they dry out and are too badly damaged.

Should be a wake-up call for anybody who thinks their partner's poor or violent behaviour is their fault and can be altered if only they behave properly.

I do think this is one of those rare cases where a horrible upsetting news story should be widely shared, because of the message: if your partner is violent get out fast, it will get worse, not better.Don't think you can change him, don't 'work on the relationship', dump the fucker and move on. Because if he actually is an OK man who just once lost his temper, the worst that could happen is that you no longer have a relationship with that particular man, or that you remain single. If you keep on hoping he'll change and he attacks again, the worst that could happen is that he kills you and/or DC.

I think he wanted her to live and to never 'see' her children again. I think that's worse than wanting her dead, tbh. They were right not to do him for attempted murder - he didn't want to kill her; he wanted her to live with what he'd done.