LAUNCESTON MAN JAILED FOR BRUTAL TOOTH-PULLING ASSAULT
A man named David Wesley Smith, aged 59, carried out a violent assault on his partner that lasted approximately thirty minutes.During the attack, he forcibly pulled out her teeth with his bare hands and then rinsed her mouth with a shower head instead of seeking medical assistance.
Smith, from Launceston, appeared before Truro Crown Court for sentencing after admitting to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage.
Prosecutor Sophie Johns detailed how Smith and his partner had an on-and-off relationship spanning two decades, sometimes cohabiting at her residence in Launceston, other times living apart.
On July 16, 2022, he visited her home with a box of beers, taking cans upstairs to drink.
The victim noticed Smith was agitated and irritable, so she stayed outside in the garden with their dogs.
Around 10 pm, she believed he had gone to sleep and thought it was safe to go inside.
However, Smith, hearing her, stormed down the stairs shouting and demanding she join him in bed.
Fearing confrontation, she ran and slammed the door, hoping he would think she had gone outside again.
She later hid under a bed in a spare room for about an hour.
During this time, Smith entered and vandalized pictures on the wall before locating her under the bed.
The woman recalled him ripping the bed apart and pulling her up by her arms and hair as she screamed.
She managed to escape downstairs, but Smith followed and confiscated her phone.
Later, while she was sitting on the sofa smoking, he suddenly leapt on her, forced her mouth open, and expressed frustration over her talking.
He forced his fingers into her throat and insulted her mouth, then took her teeth out with his bare hands over half an hour.
According to Ms Johns, the victim choking on her own blood feared she might die; she compared the pain to labor.
Smith also stripped her of her dressing gown and tried to rinse her in the shower, spraying water into her mouth.
Watching her blood drain away, she felt her strength waning.
They went to bed afterward, with Smith attempting to cuddle her.
The following morning, she was in severe pain, battered, and bruised.
When she tried to leave her house, Smith caught her at the gate and dragged her back inside.
She tried to cry out for help, but no one responded.
Inside, Smith vandalized a light switch in the kitchen.
When she sought medical attention in July, fearing the ongoing pain in her mouth, he threatened and warned her not to tell anyone.
On July 20, she visited a GP, where photographs documented her injuries, including bruising.
Between July 20 and 27, Smith sent her messages professing love, though she informed him their relationship was over.
On August 16, she visited a dentist and had another tooth removed that was hanging loose.
Ms Johns explained that her injuries had long-term effects; she lost four teeth on the right side, struggled to speak and eat, and still experienced pain months later.
She spent about £1,000 on a metal dental plate but could not afford a more permanent fix.
She also suffers from anxiety, requiring sleeping pills and antidepressants, and both her physical and psychological health are expected to be affected for life, leaving her with continuous pain and financial strain from dental treatments.
