A 35-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to six years for biting his girlfriend's nose and attacking her in her flat.
Stephen McCarron from Moyola Drive in the Shantallow area of Derry was unanimously convicted by a jury at the city's Crown Court last month of causing grievous bodily harm with intent after the woman suffered a prolonged attack in her Bogside flat.
McCarron, who had 74 previous criminal convictions, two of them for assaulting the same victim, attacked his girlfriend of three years on the night of August 15 last year following a day-long drinking binge.
He and his victim had argued at an internment night bonfire. McCarron followed the woman to her flat where he kicked, punched, bit and choked her during an attack lasting several hours.
Sentencing McCarron yesterday, Judge Elizabeth McCaffrey said the woman believed he would kill her.
The judge said victim told the jury that McCarron tried to ingratiate himself with her after the sustained and brutal assault.
"She also said that you offered to look after her and she was so badly beaten up that she had to let you look after her," she said.
"She said she had no way to get help because she was too scared to leave or tell anybody because she felt so stupid that she let you back into her life."
Judge McCaffrey said McCarron, despite coming from a stable family background, had led an aimless and chaotic lifestyle characterised by drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment and offending.
McCarron was sentenced to six years - three in custody and three on licence.
