JAILED: 'Dangerous' Telford man left ex needing seven stitches

Paul Harrison was described as "dangerous" by the judge who sentenced him to three years' imprisonment for the attacks.

The 47-year-old of Victoria Avenue, Wellington, Telford, used a knife from the kitchen to threaten his former partner.

The court was told that during one attack he left her with a one-centimetre cut to the skin between her thumb and forefinger as she attempted to fight him off.

She also had to have seven stitches to a cut on her nose. A cut to her eyelid had to be glued together and she suffered bruising to her hand and pain to her lips, mouth and ear.

Harrison was charged with assault by beating and possessing an article with a blade or point following the first attach on November 23, 2015.

Samantha Powis, prosecuting, told the court that the couple had an argument during which they ended their relationship.

She said that Harrison said that he "might as well beat her up".

He grabbed a knife and held her by her leg.

At that moment her dog, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, bit Harrison on the ankle which allowed the woman to get free.

He chased her down the road still carrying the knife, but she asked him to put it down and he became calmer, giving her the opportunity of calling the police.

Harrison was bailed not to contact the victim but Miss Powis told Shrewsbury Crown Court that the pair worked together and the victim asked for it to be varied to make it possible for them to continue their business relationship.

But on December 19, he again attacked the woman, punching her to the ground and once again grabbing a knife from the kitchen, leaving her with a stab wound in the skin between her thumb and forefinger, along with the other injuries.

She ran away but he forced her into a car, punching her when she tried to get out.

They drove towards an Asda store, where she convinced him to take her to hospital.

Once there she was able to tell a doctor that Harrison had attacked her, and he was arrested again.

Harrison had previously been jailed for eight years for a sexual offence and at the time of the crimes was subject to a two-year suspended sentence, handed to him in 2014 for being in breach of the requirements of the sex offender register.

Sentencing, Judge Jim Tindal ordered him to serve two years' imprisonment for the actual bodily harm offence, eight months for having a bladed weapon and a further four months for the breach of the suspended sentence to run consecutively, giving him a total custodial sentence of three years.

Judge Tindal added that if Harrison was to come before him again he would not hesitate to give him a longer custodial sentence.

He said: "The injuries are not such that I could impose an extended custodial sentence but I would because I believe he is dangerous."