Thug jailed for attacks on partner

8:48pm Monday 12th May 2008

BRENDAN Blythe-Brennick has been jailed for launching a string of brutal attacks on his childhood sweetheart.

Blythe-Brennick, 34, kicked, stamped on and then used a walking stick to hit his partner during a long weekend of violence at the family home.

While Blythe-Brennick was in custody on remand, he phoned the woman 33 times and also wrote to her to try and get her to drop the charges against him.

Even though she withdrew her co-operation, the Crown Prosecution Service continued with the case.

Lynne Henderson, prosecuting, said Blythe-Brennick and partner Kelly Robertson had been together "more or less since leaving school".

There had been a history of unreported domestic violence before the incidents, which started on Friday, November 2 last year. During an argument in which he complained he had no cannabis, Blythe-Brennick punched and kicked Miss Robertson.

The following day he was woken by other people. He got up, grabbed Miss Robertson and pulled her to the ground.

"While she was on the floor he lifted his foot over her head and said This has got your name on it'," said Mrs Henderson.

"The defendant then kicked her to the right side of the head and jumped on her right shoulder. Miss Robertson was crying with the pain."

She went to hospital fearing she had a broken collar bone but was told it was a muscle injury.

On the Monday morning Blythe-Brennick was again woken early and began shouting about being roused and where he was going to get cannabis. In a rage Miss Robertson threw a cutlery drawer to the floor and fled outside. Seeing Blythe-Brennick had left, she returned and then felt a blow to the back of her head.

She turned to see her partner and after taking a swing at him, saw a walking stick on the ground. She had a two-centimetre cut to her head as a result of the attack.

Blythe-Brennick, of Mill Lane, Castle Eaton, admitted two charges of causing actual bodily harm, as well as common assault and perverting the course of justice.

Ruth Armstrong, defending, said the probation service's pre-sentence report recommended a community sentence if he had an address to go to. She urged the court to adjourn the matter so further efforts could be made to find him accommodation.

Judge Douglas Field refused and imposed an 18-month jail term.