MAN REPEATEDLY PUNCHED FORMER PARTNER AND FRACTURED HER EYE SOCKET AS SHE LAY IN HOTEL BED
Jimmy Dutton, aged 22 and residing on Vicars Cross Road in Great Boughton, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to a woman at the Abode Hotel in the early morning hours of November 17.The assault resulted in the victim sustaining a fractured eye socket.
In addition to this charge, Dutton admitted to damaging a hotel door at the Grosvenor Road establishment on the same day and to assaulting a police officer two weeks earlier.
During a court appearance at Chester Crown Court on Friday, February 7, Dutton was sentenced to a term of 30 months in prison.
Prosecutor Iain Criddle explained that police officers had gone to arrest Dutton on November 3 for an unrelated matter.
Upon seeing the officer, Dutton attempted to flee and forcibly pushed past her.
A confrontation ensued, leading to a physical struggle where both fell to the ground and Dutton tried to strike the officer.
The officer was eventually restrained using handcuffs and incapacitant spray, but not before sustaining cuts and bruises to her knee, jaw, and shin.
Dutton had been released on bail while pending charges, but those issues did not advance further.
On November 17, he was among four people, including his former partner, with whom he had been out partying at the Abode Hotel.
The woman had ended their relationship eight months earlier, and Dutton was described by the court as having reacted poorly.
That night, while in her hotel room, she heard Dutton engaged in a violent argument with others before falling asleep again.
She awoke to Dutton strangling her and verbally abusing her, threatening to kill her.
He then punched her approximately ten times in the face and kicked her leg as she attempted to leave the bed.
Hotel guests heard the disturbance, and one who knocked on the door was answered by the victim.
An employee was also present, and police were called.
Before their arrival, Dutton forcibly assaulted a nearby hotel door, breaking it inward, resulting in damages estimated at around £1,200.
He was subsequently arrested in Chester city centre.
The victim was found to have suffered two fractured areas in her eye socket.
In interviews, Dutton claimed his actions were in self-defense, asserting the victim had bitten him.
The court heard a letter from the victim describing Dutton as a kind man and a positive role model during their relationship, which lasted eight months.
She noted that he had fallen into depression, begun using drugs, and behaved out of character during the incident, requesting that no restraining order be issued.
Dutton had prior convictions for violence, including assaults, malicious communication, and theft, recorded between 2015 and 2018.
Defending counsel Simon Mintz argued that this was Dutton’s first serious violence conviction and highlighted other aspects of his character, including his work ethic and recent positive behaviour in custody.
Dutton expressed remorse and was committed to addressing his drug issues and transforming his conduct.
The victim had even visited him in prison, though Dutton expressed feeling unworthy of her support.
Judge Simon Berkson, addressing the court, remarked that police officers should not expect to struggle with detainees without injury and condemned Dutton for his violent actions.
Regarding the grievous bodily harm charge, the judge described the incident as a disgraceful assault, emphasizing that Dutton’s behaviour was akin to that of a wild animal, strangling and repeatedly punching the woman while she was vulnerable and in bed.
The judge noted the significant injury, which included a fractured eye socket, and called the assault shameful.
While acknowledging Dutton’s good work history as a plasterer and his victim’s plea for leniency, the judge attributed his violent conduct to the influence of cocaine and alcohol during that night.
