A woman was left ‘virtually unrecognisable’ after being beaten to a pulp by her abusive partner. The victim has asked not to be named, but took the brave step of releasing a picture of her injuries to show the severity of the attack.
Violent thug Karl Machin filmed himself on his mobile phone battering his partner at her home in Blackpool on December 4 last year.
Crime scene reports from police
Police say her injuries were so severe one of the officers called to the scene thought she had dyed red hair, but it was actually soaked in blood.
The victim, a mum-of-one, was left with a broken jaw, lost a number of teeth, concussion, a brain injury resulting in memory issues, speech impairment and a broken eye socket causing her eyelid to not shut properly, water and droop.
She also has nerve and tissue damage on her face which affected her smile, two black eyes, bruising to her legs, ribs and back.
Victim statement
In a victim impact statement given to the court the woman outlined the impact of the attack.
She said: ‘Although I received significant physical injuries the emotional and psychological damage to me has been just as horrific.
‘The trauma and psychological distress this has caused me is immeasurable. I suffer with flashbacks, nightmares.
‘I am on edge and feel exposed and unsafe, always looking over my shoulder in case someone is behind me who might hurt me. I struggle to sleep due to nightmares as even in my sleep I relive what happened to me.
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‘I feel vulnerable and unsafe in my own home now as I still have vivid flashbacks of what happened to me there, my home feels like it has been defiled and is no longer my sanctuary and safe space.’
Crime triggers
Preston Crown Court heard Machin, of Charles Street, Blackpool, had been working away and sending ‘lovey dovey’ messages to his partner. But when she did not reply immediately, he became angry.
His temper escalated further when he learned she had a male visitor to her home – although the woman insisted he was just a friend.
On December 4 last year, Machin went to the woman’s house and pretended everything was alright.
But once inside the house he flew into a rage and began punching his partner as hard as he could, muttering insults at her as he did.
During the attack, the woman lost consciousness three times but Machin woke her up to attack her further.
Machin, 44, of Charles Street, Blackpool admitted Section 18 wounding and was jailed for seven years and two months. He was also given a 10-year restraining order.
Judge Richard Gioserano, sentencing, said: ‘She stood no chance against you, as subsequent events prove. You punched her repeatedly and hard – as hard as you could, she said.
‘It wasn’t just a punch or a knock. It was sustained, and sustained even after she had already been rendered unconscious. The violence continued, even when she was utterly defenceless.
‘You speak of yourself as a devoted father to that child, but a devoted father does not subject a child’s mother to serious, life changing violence.
‘You pose a serious risk to the public, in particular a particular sector of the public, namely women who are either your partners or former partners.’
