A drunken thug threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend before accusing her of murdering their deceased son. Joseph Brown attacked his victim with a meat cleaver, dragged her by her hair, put her in a headlock and tried to headbutt her during an alcohol-fuelled assault.
His victim had woken up to him screaming at her and accusing her of being responsible for the death of their son. The rampage was described as being fuelled by "grief, combined with high emotions, compounded with alcohol".
During a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, a judge told Brown that the incident was a "sad and serious example" of a "violation of the trust and security that normally exists in an intimate relationship".
Details of the assault
The court heard today (August 25) how Brown, of Manningham Road in Anfield, was in a relationship with Carlie Salters for 23 years before they separated in 2021. Despite the 40-year-old defendant having been handed a restraining order later that year, which banned him from contacting his ex-partner for the next decade, the former couple were said to have been socialising with a friend at an address on Winchester Road on May 12 this year.
But Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, described how all three later left due to Brown's "rowdy" behaviour and returned to his home, where they continued drinking, the ECHO reports. While Ms Salters subsequently fell asleep on a sofa, she later awoke to find her ex-boyfriend "screaming that she was a murderer" and accusing her of murdering their son.
When she attempted to leave the property as a result, Brown then warned her: "You're not going anywhere. I'll f***ing kill you."
Violence and threats
Brown thereafter began hitting her to the head with his mobile phone and spat in her face before grabbing hold of her glasses, damaging them beyond repair. He then dragged her from the sofa by her hair, placed her into a headlock and began twisting her head, leaving her fearing that he was attempting to break her neck.
While Brown eventually let go of her after she screamed for help, he went on to retrieve a meat cleaver from the kitchen, repeatedly attempted to headbutt her and began slashing at her with the weapon while "screaming he was going to kill her and everyone else". Police subsequently arrived at the house, eventually being let in by the offender after he had initially refused them access, at which stage she was able to flee.
Sentencing and background
Brown has a total of 26 previous convictions for 36 offences. Julian Nutter, defending, told the court: "Through me, he expresses his remorse. He has been in custody now for just over three months."
"He deeply regrets his behaviour. He does not wish to see this lady again and he has resolved not to allow anything like this to occur. There is a letter from his doctor, which gives something of a mental health background to this. There is, underlying all of this, grief in the true sense. That is what came out when the confrontation took place."
Brown admitted making threats with an offensive weapon in a private place, assault by beating, criminal damage and breaching a restraining order. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse wearing a grey OEX t-shirt, he was jailed for two-and-a-half years and handed a new indefinite restraining order.
Sentencing, Judge Ian Unsworth KC said: "The domestic context of your offending makes the offending more serious. It represents a violation of the trust and security that normally exists in an intimate or family relationship. This case is a sad and serious example of that."
"Plainly, this was a serious matter. I accept that real and genuine grief has, unfortunately, been very much a feature of your life and Carlie's life and your relationship. I have no doubt it was that grief, combined with high emotions, compounded with alcohol, that gave rise to events on that day."
"You did subject her to this attack, which involved repeated blows, threats, arming yourself with a meat cleaver and subjecting her to blows by various different means. I am sure that this was a terrifying incident for her, all in a place where she should have felt safe."
"You have a poor record. Some of those offences relate to violence and also harassment. The case is aggravated by the fact that this was committed in a domestic setting. It was persistent. There was the use of a weapon, and, of course, you were under the influence at the time."
"I accept all that Mr Nutter has said. I do accept that you are genuinely remorseful. I also accept that the grief in the loss of your son has paid a heavy toll in your life. I accept that was in the background of what happened that day."
