Thug who broke partner's nose and smashed bottle on her head jailed

Christopher Helliwell (47), of Hemmingway Close, Treeton, repeatedly attacked Kerry Shelton and intimidated her in court.

Judge Robert Moore, who said Helliwell was guilty of “dreadful attacks and dreadful rages”, jailed him at Sheffield Crown Court last Friday (11) and banned from contacting her for ten years.

Helliwell previously admitted on the day his trial was due to start to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, damaging property, intimidating a witness and unlawful wounding.

Mr Graham O’Sullivan, prosecuting, told the court Helliwell and mother-of-four Ms Shelton’s relationship was “never a good one”.

The court heard Helliwell was jailed in 2016 for attacking Ms Shelton.

In February last year he left her with bruising to her leg after he flipped over a table in her home, causing £250 worth of damage.

Mr O’Sullivan said Helliwell then grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her into a kitchen unit while whispering: “This isn’t the last of us.”

One of Ms Shelton’s children walked in and said: “Leave my mum alone.”

He then went on to smash Ms Shelton over the head with a vodka bottle and threatened to kill her — the court was not told if this happened in front of the child.

Ms Shelton suffered cuts and bruising to her face and hands and was treated at hospital, the court heard.

In August, Helliwell intimidated Ms Shelton at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court, where he was due to stand trial for the attack.

He swore at Ms Shelton as she walked past, said Mr O’Sullivan, and made a cut-throat gesture to her.

The trial did not go ahead and the case was committed to the crown court.

While Helliwell was on bail, he attacked Ms Shelton again at her Sheffield home, leaving her with a broken nose, cuts and bruises and needing hospital treatment.

Mr Richard Thyne, mitigating, said Ms Shelton remembered little of the second attack.

She did remember Helliwell having his hands around her throat, holding a knife over her.

She also remembered asking a neighbour for help and Helliwell stopped his attack when the neighbour intervened, he said.

Helliwell had completed a catering course since being remanded into custody, added Mr Thyne, and wanted to pursue this as a career when he was released from prison.

Judge Robert Moore said: “You are clearly a serial bruiser and controller of the women with which you had a relationship.

“These were dreadful attacks and dreadful rages against a vulnerable female partner in her own home — one in front of her children.

“You had already been in prison for assaulting this person. 

“You pleaded guilty at trial and saved her having to relive it all and started your current stretch in prison – but unless you can control your jealous rages you will end your days in prison.”