Chesterfield thug jailed for over two years for “horrific” assault on girlfriend

Alcoholic Darren Snowdon, 38, attacked his girlfriend at his home – punching her to both sides of the head.

A prosecutor told Derby Crown Court the Snowdon’s partner estimated he struck her with around “20 to 30 blows”, kicking her to the arms and ribs.

"(The victim) at that point was screaming for help,” said the prosecutor.

However she eventually fled the scene through the property’s kitchen window. She was treated in hospital for cuts to her ear, bruising to her right eye, her feet, back, and right breast and lumps to her head.

When the April 28 assault was reported to police another of Snowdon’s victims, a man in his 60s who had taken pity on the homeless defendant and allowed him to stay at his address, came forward.

The court heard after a few weeks of living at the Brampton address Snowdon became “aggressive” and made homophobic comments.

After calling the victim a queer b****** he hit him with the back of his hand to the eye, stood over him and asked “if he wanted some more”, said the prosecutor.

During another vicious drunken assault on May 2 Snowdon attacked a female police officer who tried to detain him in the street, punching her to the right side of the head and making her “dizzy”.

Previous to the assaults, in March, the defendant was heard threatening to “kill” his probation officer when she challenged him for breaching his supervision order.

The court heard Snowdon had 38 previous convictions for 101 offences – 26 of which were violent offences.

Snowdon’s defence barrister said he had committed all the offences while drunk and had accepted the severity of his actions.

The defendant, of Hanbury Close, Holme Hall, admitted assault by beating an emergency worker and assault with actual bodily harm.

Recorder Adrian Reynolds, jailing him for 26 months, told Snowdon: “This is a distressing litany of offending essentially because for some reason you turn on people who are trying to help you.

"The assault (on your partner) is horrific frankly – the photos showing the extensive bruising you inflicted on her are really horrible to look at.

"There is no way of dealing with this other than immediate custody.”

Snowdon was also handed a five-year restraining order.