Sunderland man knocked out girlfriend's tooth in fit of fury

A furious boyfriend who launched a ferocious attack on his partner and knocked her tooth out after she confessed to being unfaithful has been put behind bars.

Daniel Smith, aka Morris, flew into a rage when his girlfriend admitted her infidelity and threatened to kill her and the man she had cheated with.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the woman had made a 999 call in March 2023, and when police arrived at the house her lip was bleeding and she had a tooth missing.

Prosecutor Vince Ward told the court: "She told the police officer he had banged her head off the top of the stairs, pushed her down the stairs and then gone into the kitchen where he strangled her to the point of choking.

"He then hit her across the face, which caused her tooth to fall out then took her mobile phone and left.

"She also complained that he had threatened to kill her and the man she had cheated on him with, that is what caused this argument, her disclosure to him that she had been unfaithful to him."

Smith, 33, of Clacton Road, Sunderland, was found guilty of assault and theft of the phone after a trial. He has previous convictions for violence on other people.

Judge Tim Gittins sentenced him to 12 months behind bars.

The judge said: "I accept there was some degree of provocation in the sense you discovered she had been unfaithful but the simple answer was for you to leave and put distance between the two of you or sit and resolve things, perhaps a verbal argument but to physically assault her was never right, whatever the circumstances."

Judge Gittins said Smith has since tried to minimise his actions and blame the woman for being violent that day.

Sophie Allinson-Howells, defending, said the trouble was "sparked by infidelity" and added that Smith's mental health has been impacted by bereavements.

Miss Allinson-Howells added: "He is struggling, his mental health is extremely low."