A BRUTAL drunken bully who choked, punched and kicked his partner has been jailed for 12 months.

Judge Paul Watson QC told John Davison he had caused the woman incalculable anxiety and stress, before putting the man he called a “brutal bully” behind bars today (December 7).

Sentencing Davison at Durham Crown Court, the judge said: “When you’re sober, you’re a reasonably engaging, personable and, once upon a time, hard-working man.

“When you’ve had a drink, you’re a drunken, violent menace.”

Davison, 42, of John Street, Sacriston, was convicted of two charges of common assault against his partner and breaching a restraining order following a trial in November.

The restraining order was imposed when Davison was jailed for 24 weeks in June following another assault against the woman, David Wilkinson, prosecuting, told today’s hearing.

However, two days after he was released in August, the woman, who he had begun a relationship with in November 2010, contacted him via Facebook, they were reunited and moved in together, Mr Wilkinson said.

The violence resumed a few days later and, in early August, Davison chased the woman around their bedroom, grabbed her by throat and pinned her to the bed, shouting that he hated her for having sent him to prison.

On August 30, the couple were drinking with Davison’s sister when he became violent, punching his partner on her mouth and kicking her repeatedly, the court heard.

On September 16, the woman left Davison and returned to her mother’s home. But others then threatened the older woman, leading to Davison being arrested.

In a statement to the court, the partner said she remained afraid of Davison, was angry her family had been threatened and hoped the court’s sentence would protect her from him in future.

Andrew Finlay, for Davison, said his client had fallen into depression and alcohol abuse following a motorbike crash in 2000 and found it extremely difficult to break out of the lifestyle.

Davison also faced charges of taking a car without its owner’s consent, driving while disqualified, drink driving and driving without insurance, all of which he admitted.