Wantage man jailed for leaving woman 'unrecognisable' after attack
His victim was pregnant at the time
A man from Wantage has been jailed for assault and coercive and controlling behaviour after leaving a pregnant woman "unrecognisable" after an attack.
Charles Morrice, aged 23, of Simmonds Walk, Wantage, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday 16th April.
He has also been issued an indefinite restraining order in relation to the victim.
Morrice pleaded guilty to one count each of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and coercive and controlling behaviour at the court on February 5th.
The court heard on 17 December last year, the victim, a pregnant woman in her late teens, and Charles Morrice were having a disagreement when he became angry and threw a plate at her in Simmonds Walk.
The following morning, Morrice’s anger had not subsided and during a conversation, he grabbed the victim by the shoulders and shook her. He then pushed the victim against the wall, ripped her clothing, bit her, kicked her and repeatedly hit her in the face, causing her head to ache as well as bruising.
Morrice was stopped by someone else who had arrived at the address but, after they left, his assault against the victim continued and escalated.
Morrice was furious that the victim had not comforted him by hugging him or telling him it was okay so he threw a bottle in her direction. He expected the victim to reassure him about their relationship even after assaulting her.
After throwing the bottle, he assaulted her again, pushing her into furniture, causing her to hit her head, and striking her in the face. He bit her again, ignoring her cries of pain or when she told him she was scared.
The victim tried to run away, despite not being fully clothed and without a mobile phone, but Morrice followed her and she returned with him to the property.
He had smashed her phone on the floor and continued to hit her to the head. He also hit her with a crochet hook, causing lash marks to her back, and he continued to punch, slap and bite her.
Morrice told her it was crazy how she looked and asked if the baby was alive. While the victim tended to her injuries, Morrice played the guitar.
He made a further comment that he did not want to wake up to a dead woman in the morning.
The next day, the victim told Morrice that she needed to go to hospital as she was scared she was going to die. Morrice’s response was: “I could always do more.”
The victim managed to leave and seek help. Those who knew the victim described her as ‘unrecognisable’ as a result of how injured she was.
Morrice told the victim that it was her actions that caused him to act in this way and this had continued to a level to which she believed him, so she would make little to no attempt to defend herself as this would only cause Morrice to increase his violent behaviour.
Morrice impacted upon every facet of her life from her mental health to her financial stability to the contact with those who loved and cared about her.
Morrice was arrested on 18 December last year and was charged the following day.
Detective Sergeant Matthew Richardson, of the Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “The victim in this case had displayed immense bravery throughout this investigation in telling the police her experiences and it is noted that suspect accepted everything she had said was the truth when he was sentenced.
“I hope this conviction goes some way in giving victims the confidence to come forward to the police to report such offences.
“Thames Valley Police is relentless in its pursuit and disruption of perpetrators of violence against women and girls.
“For victims of domestic abuse, coming forward and reporting it is incredibly hard, but we urge anyone who has been subjected to these terrible crimes, to speak up. We will believe you and support you throughout the process.
“You can contact us via our website, by calling 101, or by visiting a police station.”