Woman died month after boyfriend jumped on her head in drunken rage - Leeds Crown Court

A man who jumped on his partner's head and repeatedly kicked her in a fit of jealously has been given a ten year sentence.
Nathan ButterfieldNathan Butterfield
Nathan Butterfield

Nathan Butterfield was given the extended prison sentence after a judge said he posed a danger to women.

Judge Penelope Belcher told Butterfield: "The risk is the alcohol-fueled fury and jealousy if you think a partner is cheating on you."

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A court heard victim Claire Gillis died a month after the incident but not from injuries connected to Butterfield's attack.

Leeds Crown Court heard Butterfield, 36, flew into a drunken rage and kicked Miss Gillis unconscious during the attack at her home in Lupset, Wakefield.

Butterfield then stamped on the 38-year-old victim's face three or four times as she lay prone on the ground.

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Leeds Crown Court heard Butterfield carried out the attack on November 14, 2016, in front of his friend.

Afterwards he said to his friend: "Did you see the way she looked at you?"

Butterfield accused the victim of sleeping with other men and threatened to climb onto the window sill and jump on her.

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Butterfield then left the property with his friend without calling her an ambulance and carried on drinking in Wakefield town centre.

Miss Gillis went to a neighbour's home three days later to ask for paracetamol.

The neighbour later described how she was still covered in blood and her face was badly swollen and bruised.

The court heard Miss Gillis told her neighbour that her new boyfriend had beaten her up

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Ben Thomas, prosecuting, described Miss Gillis as vulnerable and said she had problems with alcohol.

A support worker went to her home ten days after the attack as she was unable to contact her.

Miss Gillis was in bed with her face still badly swollen.

She was covered in blood and drifting in and out of consciousness.

Butterfield was in the property at the time.

The woman was taken to hospital and found to have suffered bruising and bleeding to her brain.

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Mr Thomas said Miss Gillis was discharged from hospital two weeks later, on December 16 2016, and was found dead the next day.

The court heard a post-mortem revealed she had died from alcohol poisoning.

Butterfield, of Bassenthwaite Walk, Knottingley, was arrested after the attack and claimed the injuries had been caused by Miss Gillis's former boyfriend.

Forensic tests showed the victim's blood was still on his shoe laces and tracksuit bottoms.

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He pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Butterfield has previous convictions for violence against former partners.

He was out of prison on licence at the time of the attack.

Richard Canning, mitigating, said Butterfield had called for an ambulance two days after the attack but it failed to turn up at her home.

Mr Canning said Butterfield felt guilty over Miss Gillis's death.

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Butterfield was told he must serve a custodial term of seven years, followed by an extended licence period of three years.

Judge Belcher said: "It is a feature that you appear to have a paranoia and jealousy and you constantly think your partners are involved with somebody else."

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