Leeds thug punched partner 20 times in the face as police desperately battered down the door of his home after receiving text from terrified victim

A controlling boyfriend punched his partner repeatedly in the face as police officers battered down the door of his home after receiving a text from the terrified woman.
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Sean McCleary forced the victim to go to his home in Hunslet then made her hand over her shoes and mobile phone so she could not escape or raise the alarm.

Leeds Crown Court heard the 28-year-old was the subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting the woman at the time of the attack on December 8 last year.

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Alexandra Sutton, prosecuting, said McCleary had been violent towards the woman in the past and she had tried to end the relationship.

Leeds Crown CourtLeeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

The defendant became jealous after finding out she had been seeing another man.

Ms Sutton said McCleary had been turning up at the victim's home in Cross Green on a regular bases for two weeks prior to the attack despite being given the restraining order.

He demanded that she get in a taxi with him to his home on Dewsbury Road.

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The woman broke down in terror when she got to the property and told him that she was frightened of him.

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The victim managed to get to the phone when McCleary briefly left the room.

She sent a text message to a friend asking a her to dial 999 and gave McCleary's address.

She then deleted the message from the device after sending it.

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McCleary became suspicious when he returned and said: "If you have called the police you are a dead woman."

Officers arrived ten minutes later but were unable to get inside.

McCleary punched the woman around 20 times in the face before officers managed to break down the door and arrest him.

The victim suffered bruising and swelling to her face.

In a separate incident, McCleary punched a security guard who challenged him for shoplifting at an Aldi store on Tunstall Road, Beeston.

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The defendant was asked to leave as he was acting suspiciously inside the store on October 16.

He then said to a security guard: "I am going to stab you. I will get my mates to come down, just wait."

McCleary then threw his mobile phone at the security guard and punched him in the face.

The security guard was struck again as he managed to detain McCleary.

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The defendant pleaded guilty to common assault, assault by beating, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, harassment and threatening behaviour.

The threatening behaviour offence relates to his involvement in a group incident in which a man suffered fatal injuries in August last year.

He has previous convictions for assaulting police offices and possessing a blade in public.

Richard Reed, mitigating, said McCleary was sorry for the injuries he had caused.

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Mr Reed said his client was suffering from mental health issues at the time but his condition had improved while in custody.

Jailing McCleary for 20 months, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said: "You launched a violent assault upon her, connecting with her face and hitting her 20 times.

"She was screaming for help and the police had to break the door down."