Norwich sex offender warned of jail after brutal attack on woman

A sex offender has been warned he could face jail time over an attack on a woman at a property on Grove Road in Norwich. The incident occurred on May 24, where paramedics who attended the scene heard a woman screaming. Police found her having been punched in the face, and her phone had been smashed. Steven Barton, aged 45 and of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded not guilty but appeared via video link from HMP Norwich, where he admitted assault and criminal damage. Norwich Magistrates Court heard evidence that Barton repeatedly punched the woman in a furious rage about the delay of ambulance response. The prosecution did not pursue a charge of animal cruelty, despite claims that he had denied throwing a dog at a wall during the incident. Magistrates informed him that all sentencing options, including immediate jail, are possible when he is sentenced on July 29. Barton was granted bail with conditions not to contact or visit the woman or Grove Road, and to sign on at the police station three times a week, in addition to registering once a week as part of his sex offender notification requirements.