Cocaine-fuelled Leeds thug with violent past punched partner twice in early-morning spat
Judge said domestic abuser has little chance of rehabilitation
A thug with a long history of violence against women has been jailed after he tried to pin the blame on drink and drugs.
Javed Robinson-Matthews punched his partner twice to the face during an early-morning argument, splitting her lip and forcing her to flee her own home.
Hours before he had strangled her.
Robinson-Matthews admitted a charge of ABH at Leeds Crown Court and was jailed, with Judge Ray Singh telling him: “There’s an awful lot of minimisation, blaming it all on alcohol and drug use.
“It’s not acceptable, you need to understand you can’t be violent to partners, something you have done over a number of years in the past.”
Prosecutor Zanisha Herbert said the 35-year-old and the victim had been in an on/off relationship for years.
On the evening of July 27, he came to her home at 11pm and stayed the night.
At some point he grabbed her by the neck and strangled her. The next morning, by 8am, they had both taken cocaine and he became irate.
He then hit her to the face twice. She left the house and sought refuge at a neighbour’s home, who called the police.
Robinson-Matthews, of Balmoral Chase, Hunslet, was arrested later the same day.
He largely gave a no-comment interview but denied the attack, saying she was “prone to lying”.
He appeared in court over a video link from HMP Leeds where he had been held on remand.
The defendant has 15 previous convictions for 29 offences, including 11 for assaults. He also had two convictions of ABH against the same partner.
Mitigating, Kristina Goodwin said Robinson-Matthews accepts he has problems with drugs, drink and anger management.
She said: “The history speaks for itself.
“He does not ask me to excuse it. He has accepted his guilt and needs help.
“He has expressed remorse to me and has been candid about the harm he has caused to the complainant.”
Judge Singh gave him a 13-month jail sentence, telling him there was “no realistic prospect of rehabilitation in this case”.
He also gave him a five-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim.