Violent ‘animal’ is spared prison

A jealous thug who behaved “like an animal” while giving his girlfriend a vicious beating has escaped jail — after she agreed to stand by him.

Gareth Lord (24) sank his teeth into the forehead of Natalie Evans and throttled her because she had arrived late for a get- together.

Lord, of Stonebreaks Road, Springhead, also pulled a knife out of a drawer saying: “I’m going to kill you” and pulled her by the hair during the assault.

She suffered a bite mark above her left eye and various bruises to her face and body.

Lord had a string of previous convictions for disorder dating to back to 2003.

But Ms Evans went to Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, to support her boyfriend after he pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and affray.

The court heard she had visited him in prison while he was on remand awaiting trial and wrote a letter to the judge saying she would be standing by him.

Lord was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to attend a programme which tackles domestic violence.

Ms Evans wept in the public gallery as judge Mushtaq Khokar told Lord that had she not been supporting him, he would have gone to prison.

“You behaved like an animal towards this woman,” he said.

Earlier, Joanna Rodikis, prosecuting said the incident began last April when Lord had been been visiting friends.

When Ms Evans arrived late, Lord flew into a rage, grabbed her by the hair and bundled her in a car before heading back home.

The victim had a lump to the back of her head and a bite mark on the left hand side of her forehead, scratches and bruising.

In police interview, Lord initially tried to claim Ms Evans had been aggressive and he acted in self-defence but later accept he had caused her injuries.

The court heard he had previous convictions for disorderly conduct, affray, threatening behaviour and racially aggravated criminal damage.

Jon Gregg, defending, said Lord had a job lined up with a roofing contractor and he now accepted his behaviour towards Ms Evans was “thoroughly wrong.”