Drunk jailed for attack on lover

DRUNKEN Edward Falls has been jailed after he held a knife to his partner's throat and threatened to kill her.

The 37-year-old terrified his victim Crystal Jackson during the assault at her home on Saturday.

He accused her of 'sleeping around' before launching his attack.

North Staffordshire magistrates yesterday heard Miss Jackson, who had only been in a relationship with Falls for a matter of weeks, was at home when she began receiving texts from him.

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Prosecutor Karen Walton said Miss Jackson's friend left as he arrived and he appeared drunk, slurring his words.

"He grabbed her legs, grabbed her hair and forced her head into the carpet of the stairs a few times," said Mrs Walton.

"She managed to get up to the bedroom and could hear him downstairs banging around. She went in the kitchen. He had a knife.

"She was pinned against the kitchen units and he held the serrated edge against her skin. He threatened to kill her.

"He moved the knife away from her throat and began to cut his own wrists."

Miss Jackson was left with red marks over her right eye, marks to her neck and a black right eye. That incident happened a few weeks after Falls first assaulted Miss Jackson on January 4.

Mrs Walton said the pair had been in a relationship for about three weeks when on January 3 they went out for the evening.

"She would describe both of them as being in drink, but said the defendant was especially drunk," said Mrs Walton.

After returning home Falls became angry and grabbed Miss Jackson by her hair and forced her out of the door.

But she later returned and Falls became angry and abusive towards her.

Mrs Walton said: "He grabbed her and tipped a can of beer over her head. He punched her once to the face.

"She felt instant pain to her right eye. She was very scared and asked him to stop."

Miss Jackson was left with a swollen and reddened right eye and a swollen nose.

Falls, of Victoria Court, Brown Lees Road, Brown Lees, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault.

Garath Davies, mitigating, said: "When they drink they argue. They are two individuals who struggle with alcohol."

He added Falls took a pragmatic view and knew he would be going to custody.

Magistrates jailed Falls for 16 weeks. They told him the second assault was serious because of the fear of violence he caused Miss Jackson, the use of the knife, he made a threat to kill her, and because he was on bail for the first assault at the time.