[A] WHITEHAVEN man has been locked up for inflicting “systematic violence” on his partner.
Anthony James Rodgers, 30, was said to have kicked Kerry McAvoy and dragged her up some stairs during one incident, causing bruising to her arm and leg.
Rodgers, of Brakeside Gardens, also told a neighbour he had used a metal bar to hit Miss McAvoy. On another occasion she reported Rodgers had struck with a plaque during a row, leaving her with a “massive lump” on her head.
A neighbour who overheard that argument listened as Rodgers began to sing John Denver’s Leaving on a Jet Plane. This, Carlisle Crown Court was told, appeared to be a “trigger” or part of the immediate lead-up to violence as Rodgers went into “psycho mode”.
Rodgers was jailed for two years today (WED) having admitted three assaults on Miss McAvoy between January and July – one causing actual bodily harm.
Judge Peter Hughes QC heard of the defendant’s underlying mental health problems and illicit drug use. But Rodgers was said to be now drug-free, seeking to make a fresh start and had “no intention” of resuming a relationship described as “toxic”.
