'Routinely violent' Northampton man who beat partner of 25 years for trying to visit friend's house jailed

A Northampton man who beat his partner of 25 years for wanting to visit a friend's house has been locked up.

Simon Turay, of HMP Peterborough, was jailed for 18 months yesterday (July 7) for the savage attack, after which he ordered his partner to go on a walk with him down a nearby canal while her face swelled up from her injuries.

At Northampton Crown Court yesterday heard how Turay has seven previous convictions for ABH and one for GBH.

His Honour Judge David Herbert told the 42-year-old: "Violent behaviour has become routine for you over the years.

"Your offending is so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate."

The court heard how Turay got into an argument with his long-term partner one evening in May this year when she wanted to go to a friend's house.

She tried to take the bins out as a pretence for getting away from the house, only for Turay to violently drag her inside and repeatedly assault her.

He then ordered them to go for a walk down a nearby canal, where members of the public reportedly saw the woman with a severely swollen face from her injuries.

A victim impact statement put to the court in April from Turay's partner described how she come to feel like she was "walking on eggshells" around the 42-year-old. She stated she was "in fear of the defendant... of not wanting to say anything to upset him."

Judge Herbert told Turay: "You have expressed a wish to change your habits in the future... [and] that you have regret for your actions.

"But the fact is you have a significant previous history for violence."