Wednesbury thug's catalogue of cruelty to partner ends with three year jail sentence

Steven Nightingale stubbed out cigarettes on the chest of the 52-year-old - sometimes holding them against the skin for two minutes - causing permanent scarring, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The victim had a tooth knocked out, clumps of hair torn from her head and was spat on during a string of beatings, revealed Mr David Bennett, prosecuting.

The 46-year-old branded the woman a cripple, banned her from using a stick when they went out together and threatened to kill her.

The man's relentless abuse about her weight drove the terrified victim to lose seven stone in less than four months, continued the prosecutor.

She gave the defendant hundreds of pounds in cash, paid his bills, bought his food and beer while being turned into his 'skivvy'. She spent so much time on his chores she barely had time to feed herself.

Nightingale callously cut her family links, took her mobile phone and stopped her attending hospital appointments, the court was told.

She was too frightened to get injuries treated following his attacks until finally taken to hospital on July 21 when her niece saw the aftermath of beatings meted out by him on two successive days, disclosed Mr Bennett.

Police were alerted when doctors saw the bruises and scars on her body. The defendant was arrested later the same day.

The woman, who suffers from diabetes, epilepsy and has mental health problems, has since had surgery on an ear injury that threatens her hearing. She told police: "I cannot sleep, struggle to hear and am a complete nervous wreck."

The pair met six months before Nightingale's arrest and began a relationship after he started doing odd jobs for her. He then moved into her home, quickly making life hell for the victim until police were called.

Miss Seamran Kaur Sidhu, defending, said he had mental problems and added: "His behaviour has been awful but he now realises if he sticks to his medication and stays off alcohol he can live normally."

The defendant, from Oxford Street, Wednesbury, admitted behaving in a controlling and coercive way between March 1 and July 21 and also pleaded guilty to battery and assault.

He was jailed by Judge Amjad Nawaz who told him: "What started off as a good relationship quickly turned into something different.

"She cooked and cleaned for you without respite to such an extent she sometimes went without food herself. She was treated as your skivvy and has been left psychologically scarred."