Leeds 'monster' choked girlfriend while his friend was on speakerphone

Ashley Wharton repeatedly assaulted his girlfriend over a four-month period at her home in Harehills.

During one degrading attack Wharton stabbed his victim in the leg then put his hands round her neck and choked her as he had a conversation with someone on his phone.

Leeds Crown Court heard how Wharton said "listen to this" before putting his phone on speaker and continuing the assault.

On another occasion he punched her repeatedly in the face when she tried to end the relationship after confronting him about a text message he had sent to another woman.

Wharton also caused injuries to her face when he threw a mobile phone at her in a separate attack.

Wharton, 25, also called the woman "ugly", criticised her appearance and told her he had cheated on her and would do it again.

Judge Christopher Batty told Wharton: "You bullied your girlfriend, you beat her on a number of occasions, you threw items at her - a mobile phone, you punched her, you tried to stab her and cut her with a knife and you left her feeling worthless, feeling disgusting, feeling ugly.

"You threatened to snap her jaw if she stepped out of line.

"You told her you cheated on her and you would do it again and you left her in a state where she was embarrassed to take the kids to school and be seen in public because of the injuries you had bludgeoned into her face."

In a victim personal statement, the woman said:

"I know when he is angry he turns into a violent monster."

Wharton, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of assault by beating.

Stuart Field, mitigating, said Wharton had the knife during the stabbing incident as he was preparing food and was not carrying it as a weapon.

He described the couple's relationship as 'fairly short and tumultuous', but said that did not justify the defendant's actions.

Wharton was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order with the condition not to contact the victim or go near her home.