Domestic abuse victim raised alarm by sending iPad picture message of horrific injuries while locked in her home

A domestic abuse victim called for help by sending an iPad picture message of the shocking facial injuries inflicted by her ‘paranoid’ boyfriend while she was locked in her own home.
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Lee Brannan was jailed for 20 months for fracturing the cheek bone of his former partner by punching her in the face in a drink and drug-fuelled rage.

Brannan, 31, carried out the attack at his then partner's home in Hemsworth after wrongly accusing her of having an affair with his brother.

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Leeds Crown Court heard Brannan attacked the victim on two occasions in November and December last year despite being the subject of a domestic violence prevention order.

Lee Brannan was jailed for 20 months for attacks on his former partner.Lee Brannan was jailed for 20 months for attacks on his former partner.
Lee Brannan was jailed for 20 months for attacks on his former partner.

Anthony Moore, prosecuting, said the couple had been together for 18 months prior to the first attack and he had been violent towards her on previous occasions.

The court heard Brannan would become violent towards the woman after drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

She described in a statement how Brannan could "flip over nothing."

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Mr Moore said the first attack took place after the couple had spent the day together.

Brannan started an argument about the woman's ex-partner and punched her.

He grabbed her by the throat and squeezed until she couldn't breathe.

Mr Moore said: "She felt immediate pain from the punches and thought she was going to die from the assault.

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"She was really scared and this was the worst assault she had received from the defendant."

Brannan was arrested after the incident but denied assaulting the woman.

He was released on bail with conditions not to enter Hemsworth but turned up at the woman's home "almost immediately" after being released.

The woman described in her statement: "I can't ever stop him from turning up at my address. He always manages to get back into my life."

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Mr Moore said Brannan went to her home with members of his family, including his brother, where they drank a cider.

He attacked the woman after his relatives had left.

Brannan accused her of seeing his brother and she sarcastically replied: "Yeah, yeah, every day."

The defendant lunged at the woman and punched her four or five times to the face.

He then locked the doors and kept her keys.

The woman managed to raise the alarm by sending an iPad picture message of her injuries to a friend who contacted police.

Officers arrived at the property and arrested Brannan.

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The victim was taken to hospital where she received treatment for a fracture to her cheekbone.

Brannan, of Westgate, Hemsworth, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Catherine Silverton, mitigating, said Brannan was an alcoholic and had taken part in a detox programme while on remand in custody.

Miss Silverton said: "He accepts full responsibility for his offending.

"He does not consider this kind of offending acceptable.

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"He is no longer in a relationship with the complainant. He wants a fresh start."

Jailing Brannan, Judge Neil Clark said: "It seems that you become paranoid and at times aggressive and violent.

"This is particularly so when you have been taking drugs."