Leeds thug who put partner through ‘unforgivable’ assault jailed for denying the attack for a year

Jordan Woodhouse, 30, and who has a history of violence against women threw a glass towards the woman before carrying out the attack, punching and kneeing her.

The pair had been in on/off relationship since 2013 and have two children together.

On March 26, 2022, they had been drinking at home after they bought a bottle of wine and gin, although he had been drinking before that, prosecutor Oliver Connor told Leeds Crown Court.

Woodhouse became angry when he referred to an earlier argument he had with his sister. His partner even tried to hide the gin from him thinking he was becoming too drunk, but he demanded it back, so she relented.

At around 2am she asked him to stop talking about the argument and he threw the glass towards her. She ran out of the room and he followed. He grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her to the floor, striking her several times.

She went upstairs and tried to message relatives, but nobody responded. The next morning she rang the police who arrived and arrested Woodhouse, who was asleep on the sofa. He gave a no-comment interview.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she suffered ongoing nightmares and sleep paralysis.

Woodhouse, of Leopold Street, Chapeltown, has five convictions for 11 offences, including an attack on the victim when he threw a can of hair dye at her. He was also convicted of assault on a previous partner.

For the latest attack, he pleaded guilty to ABH, but only after he spent a year denying it and was due to stand trial.

Mitigating, Mark Foley conceded that much of the delay in proceedings was due to Woodhouse’s decision not to admit his offending, but said there had been no further offending since then and had not contacted the victim.

He said: “It was an argument that occurred when both had been drinking, but he accepts he had been drinking before then. He has no excuse for his behaviour which resulted in the injuries. This offending is in a different league and he accepts that.”

Judge Ray Singh told Woodhouse: “You appeared well over a year ago in the magistrates’ court and pleaded not guilty to these matters. It was only at the very last moment that you were prepared to accept your responsibility.

"You should not get any credit for making the complainant think she would need to come to court with all the worries and concerns that she would be called a liar and accused of making it all up, for you at the very last moment to say you were guilty.

"You punched her repeatedly to the body and head and used hour knee. It’s unforgiveable. You say you are a changed individual, I do not accept that.”

Judge Singh said that due to his late guilty plea, he could not bring the sentence down to one that could be suspended, so jailed him for 25 months. He also put a restraining order in place for life.