Man jailed after punching partner and making her shower off blood

A domestic abuser who left his partner drenched in blood after a violent attack – then ordered her to wash it off in the shower – has been jailed for more than two years. ⚖️

Lee Evans, 40, of Excelsior Street, Maerdy, was sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour.

The court heard Evans had subjected his partner to a pattern of controlling behaviour throughout their four-year relationship. He confiscated her phone, monitored her messages, secretly recorded her, and constantly accused her of seeing other men – threatening her if she refused to do as he said.

The attack

On 31 August last year, while the couple were staying at Evans’ grandmother’s home in Ferndale, he confronted his partner over claims she had been unfaithful, telling her: “I’m not stupid, I know you have been in those places with those boys.”

Prosecutor Kirsten Murphy told the court the victim felt pressured into naming a man, despite never having been unfaithful.

Evans then charged at her and punched her in the forehead. Blood streamed down her face as he grabbed at her repeatedly. She blacked out and came to on the floor while he continued to punch her in the head.

After the assault, Evans forced her into the bathroom and made her put her head under running water to clean the blood away. She was covered in blood from head to toe – on her hands, arms, face and hair – and felt so dizzy she feared she would collapse.

He then turned to self-pity, telling her: “I can’t believe I had done this.” He added: “You feel happy for what happened? My temper goes.”

While the victim slept, Evans scrubbed blood from the room and used a Stanley knife to cut out a section of bloodstained carpet.

The victim later went to hospital, where she needed gas and air while being treated for the wound to her forehead. Too afraid to tell the truth, she told medical staff she had “fallen down the stairs.”

Death threat

When she returned home, Evans initially apologised – but quickly reverted to accusing her of cheating. As the victim began trembling during the argument, he told her: “Shake as much as you want, I’ll f****** kill you next time.”

She fled the property and contacted police. Evans was arrested and released on bail, but the pair later met at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff, where he made the same accusations again and she called police a second time.

Victim’s impact

In a victim personal statement read to the court by Ms Murphy, the victim said: “My anxiety and depression has increased and I struggle to sleep. Since the incident occurred, I have night terrors and flashbacks, and wake up in a cold sweat. I still have moment of Lee shouting at me like I can still hear his voice.

“I was dripping from head to toe in blood and I can still smell the blood. I have up and down days and feel constantly upset… I have shooting pains from my eye, which is still tender and bruised. There is a scab on my eyebrow which is not healing, they need to cut off the scab to see why the injury is not healing. I’m worried surgery may leave a scar.”

‘Incorrigible perpetrator’

The court heard Evans has 27 previous convictions, including for battery, ABH, wounding, and breaching restraining orders – many of which involved former partners.

His defence barrister, Hywel Davies, said Evans was willing to work on his behaviour. Evans even asked Judge Daniel Williams whether he wished to see letters from the victim in which he claimed she had told him she “loved him” and was “excited for his release.”

The judge dismissed this outright: “Even if it were true it would provide zero mitigation… He’s a habitual wife beater.”

Passing sentence, Judge Williams told Evans: “You have an appalling record for domestic violence… You are a committed and incorrigible domestic abuse perpetrator.”

Evans was jailed for two years and nine months and handed a 12-year restraining order.