Landscape Gardener Sentenced to 16 Years for Horrific Neck-Breaking Attack
A landscape gardener has been handed a 16-year prison sentence for breaking the neck of his teacher lover when she threatened to leave him, leaving her paralysed from the chest down. Robert Easom, 56, launched a vicious and forceful assault on Trudi Burgess, 57, after flying into an uncontrollable rage, pinning her face down on a bed and applying his entire body weight to her neck until it snapped.
Victim Believed She Was Going to Die During Attack
Ms Burgess, a mother-of-two who was grieving the death of her husband from a brain tumour, described feeling all sensation leave her body after hearing a crack during the attack. She testified that she believed she was going to die as Easom continued to apply pressure despite her screams and pleas for him to stop. Following the assault, she told him, "Oh my God, I can't feel anything in my body, you've ruined both our lives."
Easom's Deceptive 999 Call and False Claims
After the attack, Easom dialled 999 but lied to emergency services, claiming Ms Burgess had "fallen out of bed" and describing the incident as "just a frolic which has gone horribly wrong." He repeated this false narrative to paramedics, stating the couple had been "mollycoddling" and "messing round." However, Ms Burgess later told police there had been no fall or play fight, and that Easom had deliberately injured her.
History of Abuse and Coercive Control
The court heard that the relationship, which began when Easom worked as a gardener for Ms Burgess's sister, initially seemed "heady, passionate and loving" but quickly turned abusive and violent. Easom had previously attacked Ms Burgess on multiple occasions, including wrapping her head in a bed sheet until she could not breathe and headbutting her during an argument about crockery. He pleaded guilty to two assaults and admitted to engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour between July 2017 and February 2025.
Rapid Jury Verdict and Sentencing
Easom denied deliberately breaking Ms Burgess's neck and intending to cause serious harm, but a jury at Preston Crown Court took less than 27 minutes to find him guilty following a trial in November. Hospital CT scans confirmed her neck was broken, resulting in tetraplegia, and she now requires 24-hour care. Despite his claims of love, with Easom stating in a prepared police statement, "I love Trudi more than life itself," the court emphasised the severity of his actions.
Impact on the Victim and Community
The attack has left Ms Burgess with permanent disabilities, altering her life irrevocably. The case highlights issues of domestic violence and coercive control, particularly against vulnerable individuals. The sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of such brutal acts, with the judge underscoring the premeditated and forceful nature of Easom's assault during the proceedings in Lancashire.
