A MAN has been jailed for two years and seven months after a terrifying attack on a former partner who let out a “blood-curdling scream” as he struck her on the head with a lump of concrete.

David Counsell, 56, of Sowden Street, Great Horton, Bradford, had shown a callous disregard for his victim after violently assaulting her twice in the space of a month, Judge Ahmed Nadim said today.

Counsell was sentenced on a video link to HMP Leeds after pleading guilty to actual bodily harm on May 18 last year and unlawful wounding and criminal damage on June 18.

Prosecutor Abdul Shakoor told Bradford Crown Court that Counsell had previously punched the woman in the face and tried to drown her in the bath.

On May 18, she was at a pub in Heckmondwike when Counsell, who was drunk, pushed her into a wall and punched her twice in the face. When she went into the toilets, he followed her and punched her again before pouring a drink over her head.

The police were called and he was chased and arrested.

His victim sustained a cut lip and bruising and swelling to her face.

Counsell made no comment in his police interview. He was charged and bailed.

A month later, he turned up outside the woman’s home threatening to kill her.

When she had gone to bed, he climbed in through a window. She fled outside with no shoes on but he grabbed her by the hair, punched her in the face and kicked and stamped on her head.

He shouted: “I’m going to kill you,” and hit her on the back of the head with a piece of concrete.

She had already called the police and an officer reported hearing “a blood-curdling scream,” when he arrived at the scene.

Counsell then threw a lump of rubble and smashed a window.

The woman suffered a wound to her head that needed hospital treatment, as well as bruising and swelling to her face.

Saf Salam said in mitigation that Counsell accepted that the relationship was over.

He asked the court to take into account the conditions in prison during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Judge Nadim said Counsell had a poor record of 50 convictions for 117 offences spanning 35 years, including at least eight offences of violence against the person.

Jailing him for 31 months, he said the woman expected to be safe and secure in Counsell’s company and he had violated that trust.