JAIL FOR THUG WHO BEAT UP EX AFTER LURING HER FROM THE SAFETY OF A WOMEN'S REFUGE
A man from Devizes who persuaded his vulnerable partner to leave a refuge for a night was responsible for a brutal, unprovoked assault that left her bloodied.Jason Burnett assaulted the mother of his child, punching and kicking her inside a room at a Swindon hotel, amid a history of domestic violence.
The following day, when police stopped the vehicle they were traveling in, he attempted to persuade her to conceal his actions, the court was told.
The 39-year-old, known for previous domestic violence offenses, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after a judge stated that he showed no remorse during the hearing.
Prosecutor Ian Fenny told Swindon Crown Court that the couple had been together nearly ten years.
The woman had entered a refuge five weeks prior to the incident.
Burnett called her and urged her to reconcile.
On March 12, they went to a Holiday Inn in Swindon town centre.
Following an evening of drunkenness, Burnett attacked her, throwing her onto a sofa and then repeatedly punching and kicking her.
Her injuries caused towels in the room to become soaked in her blood, prompting Burnett to dispose of them to prevent hotel staff from noticing what had happened.
Staff at the refuge became concerned about her well-being, leading them to contact police.
When officers stopped her car on the Tuesday, she had visible injuries to her face and shoulder.
Burnett was found driving and was promptly arrested.
He attempted to pressure her into downplaying her injuries, describing them as a demeaning excuse for violence.
Burnett, who provided an address in Newleaze, Hilperton, pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm.
The court was told he has multiple previous convictions related to violence, including offenses against a former partner.
Defence solicitor Lucy Stoker stated that Burnett had been trouble-free since 2009 and recognized that his relationship had ended.
She mentioned he had been offered accommodation and employment with friends and saw no reason to return to Devizes.
He expressed concern over his grandmother’s terminal illness and his desire to visit her while in custody.
Passing sentence, Judge Robert Pawson remarked, "It is quite clear that you had given her a hiding.
"You had been in a hotel, you were drunk, there had been an argument.
You had thrown her to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked her.
You attempted to get her to cover up what you had done.
What you had done was unprovoked and repeated.
I haven't once heard the word remorse.
Reading the pre-sentence report you were still maintaining you weren't as guilty as the evidence showed you were."
