Jail for Penrith man who slashed girlfriend

A man who slashed his girlfriend with a Stanley knife after bingeing on alcohol and drugs has been jailed.

James O'Neil, 31, dragged Terri Heaton from her bed at her flat in Penrith, Cumbria, in the early hours of 3 August, Carlisle Crown Court was told.

After repeatedly punching and kicking her, he slashed her leg and threatened to "end" her.

O'Neil, of Skiddaw View, Penrith, was jailed for 80 months after admitting wounding with intent.

The court was told O'Neil, who has previous convictions for violence, put Miss Heaton through a "chilling" ordeal, in which she also suffered a chipped tooth and multiple bruises, before escaping to a neighbour's house.

Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson told the court when police arrived: "There was a trail of blood and a puddle of it in the bathroom".

The court heard Miss Heaton later received 15 stitches to close a wound which was "deep and down to the muscle".

O'Neil, who also admitted possessing a bladed article, was banned from contacting Miss Heaton indefinitely.

Judge Nicholas Barker, who described O'Neil as a "dangerous" offender, told him he would have to serve two-thirds of his prison term before being considered for release.