Leeds thug spared custody for attacking woman is jailed for then harassing her

Heavily-convicted Damien Twomey was given a suspended sentence in October last year for a causing actual bodily harm, and a two-year restraining order to stay away from the woman.

But in the early hours of New Year's Day he turned up at her home in Armley. She called the police to say Twomey was present and "threatening to knock her son out", prosecutor Oliver Norman told Leeds Crown Court this week.

Five days later, police went to her address and spotted Twomey coming out of the property. He gave them a false name at first, then admitted who he was. He was arrested but refused to answer questions during his police interview. The 56-year-old later admitted breaching the restraining order. He appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds where he has been held on remand since his arrest.

Twomey, of Lindsey Road, Burmantofts, has 46 previous convictions for 66 offences dating back to 1989. He has eight previous breaches of orders and 11 offences of violence. Mr Norman said: "He is a violent individual who has a disregard for court orders."

Mitigating, Anthony Sugare said that while Twomey admits the breaches, he disputed making threats. He said that Twoney had accepted he was facing time behind bars. Judge Robin Mairs activated the full six months of his previous suspended sentence, and for the breaches gave him another six months to run consecutively.

He pointed to Twomey being previously ordered to enrol on the Building Better Relationships domestic violence awareness programme, but failed to even attend the induction.