Man jailed for 15 years for brutal roadside attack

A man who punched and kicked his girlfriend before holding her under water and then slamming her head in a car door has been jailed for 15 years.

Liam Dawson, 34, from Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Friday to 15 years and three months in prison with an additional four years on extended licence.

He initially denied a charged of grievous bodily harm, but changed his plea to guilty before trial.

Dawson was also handed an indefinite restraining order.

Warning: This article contains descriptions of violence which some readers may find distressing

Officers said they responded to reports of a woman screaming on Kitling Greaves Lane in May last year.

They found Dawson and a woman next to a damaged car.

The woman, who was bruised and bleeding from her head, told them that Dawson had driven them to the location before crashing the car on purpose and subjecting her to a sustained assault, with the abuse lasting several hours.

Following a collision with metal railings, Dawson dragged the victim out of the car by her hair before repeatedly punching and kicking her head, police said.

During the attack, he pulled off her jewellery and threw it along with her phone into a nearby brook - where he eventually held her head and body under water.

He then dragged her back to the car and slammed a door on her head.

The victim passed out and when she woke up Dawson was defecating on her face, police added. He then continued to punch her in the head.

Throughout the assault, Dawson told the victim he was going to kill her.

"I want to pay tribute to the tremendous strength and dignity of the victim throughout the investigation and court case, something which Dawson tried his utmost to strip her of," said Det Con Lauren Ashby.

"Bravely reading out her victim personal statement for the court, detailing the abuse she endured and how she believed she was going to die, is testament to her courage."

She added: "I would also like to thank the members of the public who reported the incident. Realistically, if it wasn't for their actions, it could have been a completely different outcome.

"We will not tolerate violence against women and girls and we hope this sentencing gives more victims of domestic abuse the confidence to come forward."

• If you have been affected by any issues raised in this article, details of organisations offering information and support can be found at BBC Action Line

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.