Whitby man jailed after biting and punching ex-partner in row

Jason Norbury, 29, bit the 19-year-old victim twice on the arm and punched her in the face during the attack at a friend’s house in Whitby.

He also threw soil from a plant pot in her face as she tried to escape, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Nicola Hoskins said that Norbury and the named victim had been in a relationship for nine months prior to the incident at about 8.30pm on August 1.

Norbury, who had been drinking, turned violent when he asked to see the victim’s phone because he was paranoid about her seeing other men.

“He asked to use her mobile and she passed it on,” added Ms Hoskins.

“He began to scroll through the phone and she asked for it back.

"He (had) previously behaved in a similar way thinking she was talking to other men.”

They began “wrestling for the phone” before Norbury snatched it and tried to break the handset.

The victim tried to grab it back, but Norbury refused to let go and punched her twice in the face.

He then “scratched at her face” and “still refused to let go of the phone”, said Ms Hoskins.

He then bit her on the upper arm, causing “severe” marks.

The victim was also left with reddening and scratches to both sides of her face.

“She managed to get her phone back and ran from the house,” added Ms Hoskins.

“The defendant followed her, shouting, and grabbed a handful of soil from a plant pot and threw it into her face.”

The victim, a mother-of-two, ran to a bus stop as Norbury continued to shout in the street.

He finally returned to his friend’s house at which point she called police.

Norbury, of Linden Close, Briggswath, was arrested and charged with assaulting his now ex-partner, occasioning actual bodily harm.

He admitted the offence and appeared for sentence via video link today (October 12) after being remanded in custody.

Ms Hoskins said the victim had been subjected to “degradation” by Norbury when he threw the plant soil at her.

He had previous four previous convictions for offences including vehicle crime and breaching a court order.

His solicitor advocate Graham Parkin said Norbury had drug and alcohol problems and was genuinely remorseful for the attack.

Judge Simon Hickey said it was clear that Norbury was “jealous about this young woman”.

He said it was “unacceptable behaviour towards a woman of 19 years of age”.

“You bit her twice on her bicep,” added the judge.

“Those bites were so severe; they are vivid marks on her arm.

"It’s that bite that means it must be an immediate custodial sentence.”

Norbury was handed an eight-month jail sentence of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on prison licence.