'Like an animal': Walsall man, 34, strangled, beat and bit his girlfriend
A brutal boyfriend from Walsall who acted 'like an animal' while beating up his partner has been jailed for six years.
Jealous Nicholas Hinds strangled Michelle Taylor with his hands and work shirt so hard he burst blood vessels in her eyeballs and she blacked out several times.
The ruthless 34-year-old splashed water on her face to bring her round on each occasion before continuing the terrifying assault at her home on October 9, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
He bit, punched, stamped and even beat the woman with the metal pipe of a vacuum cleaner which was then used to gouge a wound in her foot, revealed Mr Philip Beardwell, prosecuting.
The 30-minute ordeal ended after she gave up her phone and, while he checked its contents, she managed to flee from the Darlaston address to raise the alarm.
Hinds, of Latches Close, Darlaston, had regularly checked her phone during their near-three-year relationship and beat her if she had been in touch with people he disapproved of, the court was told.
The 'brutal and sustained' attack was launched the morning after he felt she had 'humiliated' him by not leaving the opening of her uncle's shop when he told her to, continued Mr Beardwell.
Miss Taylor revealed in a statement read by her from behind a screen: "I didn't think I was going to live to see another day."Because of you I am scared to trust anyone and scared to love again. All I ever did was to love and care for you. I will never be the same person again."
Miss Estelle Thornber, defending, said: "Clearly he has issues with jealousy since this whole matter comes from that. He had a break down and acted out of character."
Hinds admitted causing grievous bodily harm and was jailed by Judge James Burbidge QC who said: "You acted like an animal and engaged in a violent and terrifying attack, the core factor for which was your jealousy."
