These North East criminals accused their partners of cheating, and what happened next in each of these cases is shocking. The nine offenders have been dealt with in court, after they committed such heinous acts against people they were supposed to love. From Sunderland to Newcastle, and Gateshead to Washington, the cases here had a severe impact on people living across the region. Those who perpetrated the callous crimes have been brought to justice, with the sentences having now been passed out.
In one case, Michael Burden told his terrified partner "I'm going to bite your face off" during a violent attack, assaulting his then-partner and smashing up her belongings during a 10-month relationship. The 47-year-old bit the woman's face and pulled a chunk of her hair out during an assault in her home, which ended when he was struck over the head with a wooden bat.
Allan Bloomfield
A former "promising" footballer has been jailed for attacking and falsely imprisoning his partner in a terrifying ordeal that left her fearing he would kill her. The woman had known ex Sunderland Academy player Allan Bloomfield for 30 years and they went to the same school. Newcastle Crown Court heard that, as their relationship progressed, he began accusing her of cheating on him and became verbally abusive. After an attack, she was left with swelling to her right eye, a cut and swelling to the back of her head and a cut to her hand. Bloomfield, 41, of Union Park Road, Berwick, who has 60 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment on the basis he didn't deliberately lock her in the flat and she only became aware she was not able to get out towards the end of the incident. He also admitted wounding, threatening a person with a bladed article and possessing cannabis and was jailed for four years and eight months and given a ten-year restraining order.
Lee Regan
Vicious thug Lee Regan stamped on his partner's head until she passed out then ruined her daughter's 18th birthday party by turning up with a knife making threats. High on laughing gas and consumed with jealousy, Regan left the woman badly injured in a sustained attack in which he also cut her with a knife. After the victim fled badly injured, Regan then went to her Newcastle home, where her teenage daughter and friends were celebrating her coming of age. Guests ended up running away in fear after he brandished his blade and said he was going to hurt people. The court heard Regan had been in an on-off relationship with the woman for around three years before the attack, which happened on November 7 last year. Now Regan, who has 51 previous convictions, has been locked up, after eluding police for a week before he was found in a back yard hiding between a shed and fence. The 24-year-old, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to GBH, affray and possessing a bladed article, and he was jailed for three years.
Freddy Smith
A pregnant woman was left in "pain so bad you think you are already dead" during a shocking campaign of gratuitous violence and humiliation by her partner. Freddy Smith, also known as Campbell, attacked the victim with weapons including sword and razor blade, made her go outside naked and made her drink his blood, a court heard. Many of his attacks took place when she was pregnant with his child, between 2021 and 2022 and the victim said he became "bad Freddy" from around January 2022. Joe Hedworth, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "He subjected her to a catalogue of violence using a variety of weapons, on many occasions when she was pregnant and he took steps to stop his use of violence being discovered." Smith, who has one previous conviction for assaulting his mother, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, wounding, four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, strangulation and controlling or coercive behaviour. He was jailed for six years, with an extended licence period of a further three years and a restraining order.
Nicola Walker
A woman knocked over her partner as he tried to stop her driving away from a hotel following a drunken row. Nicola Walker was already banned from driving when she drove her Nissan Juke to a hotel in Washington for a two-night stay with her partner. But after an argument blew up in their room, during which she accused him of cheating and bit and hit him, they were asked to leave. As Walker went to leave in her car, her partner tried to stop her driving because she was drunk. Newcastle Crown Court heard she came into contact with him while reversing out of a parking bay and then drove at him, sending him rolling off the car with a glancing blow in an attack captured on CCTV. Walker, 39, of Westerwood, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause GBH with intent, assault by beating, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance. She was sentenced to two years suspended for two years with a rehabilitation activity requirement.
Kristofer Mawhinney
A "horrible" Northumberland domestic violence thug who asked his victim to wear make-up because he didn't want to see the damage he'd done to her face has been jailed. The woman was in a relationship with Kristofer Mawhinney for around three years until it ended last summer due to his abusive and controlling behaviour towards her. She said things had been fine to begin with and he "love-bombed" her but after around six months he started being excessively jealous and threatening towards her. The 32-year-old, of Crofthead Close, Blyth, would repeatedly call and text her, ask where she was, who she was with and what she was doing. The 32-year-old, who has 37 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to controlling behaviour, intentional strangulation and assault. Jailing him for 40 months and imposing a nine-year restraining order, Recorder Jonathan Sandiford said: "They were particularly serious and nasty pieces of domestic violence." Joe Culley, defending, said Mawhinney had become addicted to crack cocaine at the time. He described himself as a "horrible person" for having treated the victim so badly.
Stephen Batey
A thug who broke his girlfriend's jaw when she confronted him over cheating allegations has been left "appalled" by prison violence, a court heard. Stephen Batey had already subjected the woman to previous aggression, including when she took him away for his birthday. But after the victim asked him about a text alleging he had been unfaithful, he struck her so hard he broke her jaw, leaving her needing surgery. As he was sentenced, Newcastle Crown Court heard Batey, who has been remanded in custody since last August, has been left "appalled" by violence in Durham Prison, where he claimed there are regular attacks with sharpened tuna tins. However he is set for a little longer behind bars after a judge jailed him for 27 months. The court heard the woman began a relationship with Batey, of Jarrow, South Tyneside, in May 2023 after they began messaging each other on Facebook. She said he "seemed to have an aggressive side to him" from the start and after a few months he became abusive and violent towards her.
Michael Burden
A man told his terrified partner "I'm going to bite your face off" during a violent attack. Michael Burden assaulted his then-partner and smashed up her belongings during a 10-month relationship. The 47-year-old bit the woman's face and pulled a chunk of her hair out during an assault in her County Durham home, which only ended when he was struck over the head with a wooden bat. Burden later went on to breach a restraining order that had been imposed to protect the victim. On Friday, Burden appeared at Durham Crown Court, via link from HMP Holme House, to be sentenced for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, three counts of criminal damage, and breaching a restraining order. He had pleaded guilty to the charges. The court heard that the two had been in a relationship for around 10 months, and was described as "not great". On November 8, 2024, Burden smashed the front of a set of drawers belonging to the woman after he accused her of cheating. The argument had started after Burden upset her by "wanting cocaine".
Ryan Black
A Newcastle domestic abuser strangled his girlfriend and "set fire to her hair" during a violent relationship. Ryan Black left his now ex-partner unconscious after he strangled her in one incident, humiliated her by calling her derogatory names and "slammed her" to the ground. The 40-year-old also regularly controlled her finances and accused her of cheating on him. Newcastle Crown Court heard that Black strangled her on more than one occasion and threatened to kill her and members of her family by setting a house on fire. The court heard his violent behaviour usually surfaced when he had been drinking alcohol. Black, of Farne Terrace, Walker, Newcastle, appeared at the court on Tuesday via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for controlling or coercive behaviour and two counts of intentional strangulation. He was found guilty after a trial, with the court hearing that he had 45 previous convictions for 83 offences, and was in breach of a suspended sentence at the time of the offences. He was described as a "high risk to the public" and jailed for four years and four months.
Conner Brooke
A domestic abuser went back to attacking his former partner within days of been released early from prison for a previous assault on her. Conner Brooke was locked up last August for 16 months for assaulting the woman. But he was out on licence by February and almost immediately went back to subjecting the woman to further violence. Now the 25-year-old, of Portland Street, Gateshead, is back behind bars after admitting three more assaults on the victim. Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim had been in a relationship with Brooke since May last year. After his release from his sentence for assaulting her, they rekindled the relationship but within days, his violent and abusive behaviour resumed. Brooke, who has 22 previous convictions, including for violence, carrying weapons and exposure, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of assault by beating and criminal damage to a window. He was jailed for 12 months.
