Caring member of the public called police after hearing terrified toddler being beaten by Hartlepool brute
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A woman who repeatedly telephoned police as she heard Jordan Thomas, 27, hitting the child and threatening to bite their nose off was commended by the judge for preventing something worse.
The toddler’s cries and Thomas’s raging attacks were overheard by the caring woman who repeatedly phoned the police, Teesside Crown Court heard.
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Hide AdThey got no response when they attended at first but questioned Thomas about the incident the next day.
The youngster was examined by a paediatrician at the University Hospital of North Tees and found multiple bruising to different parts of the child’s body which he said were non-accidental injuries.
Thomas, who appeared over a video link from Durham jail, had 17 convictions for 46 offences including robbery and possession of a firearm.
The court heard he had mental problems and ran up a £2,000 drugs debt by taking crack instead of his prescribed tablets.
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Hide AdWhile on bail he also twice breached a non-molestation order granted to a former partner by attacking her in her home and choking her, and also by approaching her when her car was stationary in traffic and shouting abuse.
He pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm assault on the child and his ex-partner, the restraining order breaches, plus two offences of shoplifting £200 of meat from Lidl and £46 of meat from Sainsbury's to pay off his drug debt.
Paul Newcombe, defending, said in mitigation that Thomas would have to go on the prison protection wing because other inmates would learn about his attack on the child and seek to harm him.
He was also considered a suicide risk, the court was told.
Judge Tim Stead said that the child would have been extremely vulnerable because they would not have understood why it was happening to them and would have been unable to protect itself.
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Hide AdThomas, of Tower Street, Hartlepool, was jailed for three years and five months and given a seven year restraining order banning him from living or sleeping in any home where a child under 16 resided.