DAVID MCKENNA

STOCKTON THUG JAILED FOR ASSAULTING PARTNER WITH GLASS ASHTRAY

An abusive thug smashed a glass ashtray into his partner’s face and left her bloodied and bruised on several other occasions, a court heard.

David McKenna was controlling and abusive throughout his relationship with the woman while carrying out a series of violent attacks on her.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 53-year-old also tried to strangle his victim during one of his drink and drug-fuelled assaults.

Joe Hedworth, prosecuting, regularly verbally abused the woman calling her a ‘fat s***, a dirty w**** and c***’ before beating her and leaving her badly bruised.

He told the court that the violence and verbal abuse took place throughout the couple’s relatively short relationship.

During one attack, he punched her to the face and pinned her to the ground by her neck, before getting up and stamping on her leg - before apologising for his actions.

Mr Hedworth said that following a night out for the defendant’s birthday, he assaulted her over a number of hours, where she was beaten ‘black and blue’ and her face was twice the size as usual.

The court heard she begged him to take her to hospital, but he refused because he knew what would happen to him.

Mr Hedworth said McKenna violently attacked his victim when they were at a family celebration in Birmingham, which resulted in them getting kicked out of their hotel.

He said the abuse continued for several weeks after the incident in March, with him repeatedly attacking her, including an incident witnessed by an internet engineer working at the defendant’s home.

The court heard the police were called and McKenna was arrested before he was released on bail.

The lawyer said that after visiting his mother in hospital, they returned home and started drinking.

“They had an argument and an ashtray was knocked to the floor,” he said.

“He told her to watch what she was doing before pushing her to the sofa.

“As she stood up, he picked up the glass ashtray and smashed across the right side of her face and jaw.” The court heard how she was left with a large gash and significant bruising to her face.

Mr Hedworth said the charge of intentional strangulation related to an incident on May 20 this year, when he pinned her on the sofa with a throw and tried to stuff it in her mouth to suffocate her.

McKenna, of Hampton Road, Stockton, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour, intentional strangulation and wounding with intent over a ten-month period from October 2024.

Michele Turner, mitigating, said her client had been a different man before his life spiralled out of control following the breakdown of a previous relationship.

She said: “There is no defence mitigation to put forward save that this is a tragic situation which occurs when you have two people who are co-dependent on alcohol and other substances.” Recorder Jeremy Hill-Baker sentenced McKenna to a total of six years and three months for all offences.

He said: “You were accusing her of being with someone at her grandfather’s funeral and things descended again into name-calling of a horrible kind and violence by you.

“You picked up a glass ashtray and you smashed it across her face and jaw – it caused a very unpleasant wound.

“Your reaction was to tell her to stop crying and ‘shut the f*** up’ and push her into the wall.

“She was bleeding everywhere and I have seen the photographs of the damage you inflicted.” McKenna was also made subject of an indefinite restraining order to protect the woman.