The dad rendered his girlfriend immediately unconscious after delivering a sickening kick to the head as she lay stricken on the floor
Thomas Jennings, of no fixed address, aged 30(Image: Merseyside Police)
A thug was caught on camera subjecting his girlfriend to a “chilling” assault on a residential street. Ring doorbell footage captured Thomas Jennings forcefully striking his partner with a mobile phone, seemingly without provocation.
Having knocked her to the floor, the dad then delivered a sickening kick to the head which rendered her immediately unconscious and left her with a broken jaw and eye socket. Rather than seeking help, he instead callously left her lying motionless in the street, threatening to burn down a stranger’s house as he simply walked away from the scene of his “cowardly” attack.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Thursday, that Jennings assaulted his then girlfriend Paula Richardson “on a residential street in broad daylight” in an incident which was captured by a Ring doorbell camera. In the footage, the 30-year-old, of no fixed address but from Walton, was seen approaching his partner and repeatedly striking her with a mobile phone “without hesitation”.
Ken Grant, prosecuting, described how she was knocked to the floor by these blows to her face. Jennings then delivered two kicks to her head as Ms Richardson lay stricken on the floor, the second of which was delivered with alarming force and immediately left her unconscious.
The defendant thereafter walked away from his victim, leaving her lying motionless in the middle of the road. He also made threats towards one witness, Helen Noble, during the incident, telling her: “If you filmed me, I’ll f***ing burn your house down.”
Members of the public rushed to the aid of a bloodied Ms Richardson, who was then taken to Aintree Hospital’s A&E department with facial injuries including a gash to the head. She was ultimately found to have suffered a fractured jaw and right eye socket, requiring surgery and being left with issues with her vision.
Jennings has a total of 36 previous convictions for 64 offences. These include a 34-month sentence for possession of class A drugs with intent to supply at Preston Crown Court in 2014, 16 months for a domestic assault in 2018 and 92 months for firearms offences in 2020.
Julian Nutter, defending, told the court: “We have a defendant here who has suffered mental health issues over a number of years, which may or may not have been drug related. We have a defendant who, for the first time, has been demonstrating remorse and has put forward an apology for what he has done.
“He is deeply ashamed for what he did to this lady. That is the first step on the road to reform, and he has taken it. What we have seen, there cannot be any excuse for. What he asked me to do is to repeat his apology, and that is the start of a very long path.”
Jennings admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a white Asics t-shirt, he was jailed for four years and handed an extended licence period of three years.
Sentencing, Recorder Mark Bradshaw said: “This incident happened in the street in broad daylight. The footage we have all seen is, frankly, chilling. It appears that very little happened before you simply, without hesitation, struck her repeatedly to the head and face with a mobile phone used as a weapon.
“After she fell to the ground, you delivered two kicks to the head, the last of which rendered her unconscious. You then simply walked away. It was, in my judgement, a cowardly attack.
“It is plain that the consequences could have been far worse. It is fortunate for you that they were not. This offence represents an escalation in terms of your violent offending. You continued attacking someone who was lying on the floor and was defenceless.
“It is aggravated by the domestic context of the assault and the threats to the member of the public who tried to intervene. It occurred while you were on licence for the weapons offences, leading to your second recall on those offences.
“I have regard to your significant mental health issues due to the passing of your mother. You have used drugs, which added to your anxiety and paranoia and caused suicidal thoughts. I take into account your difficult upbringing.”