NORTHUMBERLAND MAN JAILED FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ASSAULT
A "horrible" Northumberland domestic violence thug who asked his victim to wear make-up because he didn't want to see the damage he'd done to her face has been jailed.The woman was in a relationship with Kristofer Mawhinney for around three years until it ended last summer due to his abusive and controlling behaviour towards her.
She said things had been fine initially, with Mawhinney "love-bombing" her, but after about six months, he started displaying excessive jealousy and threats.
The 32-year-old, from Crofthead Close, Blyth, would repeatedly call and text her, asking about her whereabouts and who she was with.
Prosecutor Daisy Wrigley told Newcastle Crown Court: "Things got worse.
He consistently accused her of cheating and she stopped going out to avoid his behaviour." In March last year, they went to Newcastle and ended up returning to a hotel, where Mawhinney pushed her onto a bed and held her by the throat with one hand, while covering her mouth with the other.
She had to push him off during this assault.
In April, she ended the relationship, but Mawhinney couldn't accept her decision.
Despite blocking his calls and texts, he continued to harass her, including calling from a withheld number and gaining access to her home by retrieving a key from a neighbour without her knowledge.
In June, she decided to give him another chance, but during a visit, he lost his temper and assaulted her, hitting her multiple times and causing bruising around her eyes.
She also found hair yanked out during the attack.
Mawhinney apologized and encouraged her to stay at his residence, even suggesting lies to tell her family about her injuries.
He later asked her to wear make-up so he wouldn't have to see her injuries, expressing remorse through messages like "Please put some make-up on when you come back.
I honestly can't even look at you properly.
This shouldn't have happened, I'm devastated I did it." He attended her hospital visit, where he was more concerned about her report than her health, and continued bombarding her with calls and texts even as she cooperated with police.
In her victim impact statement, she expressed how the ordeal left her traumatised, living with guilt and shame, but therapy was helping her recover.
She stated she would likely never love again and described Mawhinney as "callous." He pleaded guilty to controlling behaviour, intentional strangulation, and assault, and was sentenced to 40 months in jail.
A nine-year restraining order was also put in place.
The judge, Recorder Jonathan Sandiford, described the offences as "particularly serious and nasty".
Mawhinney has a lengthy record with 37 previous convictions.
His defense attorney, Joe Culley, said Mawhinney had become addicted to crack cocaine at the time and called himself a "horrible person" for his behaviour.
