Later that day, Shaw asked if he could stay the night, and Ms. Burrows agreed on the condition that he slept on the sofa. However, he later entered her bedroom and subjected her to a second assault, hitting her several times and suffocating her with a pillow. She was able to break free, but he took hold of her son’s school uniform to prevent them from leaving. Shaw then grabbed a combat knife and threatened to kill himself if she left him.
Ms. Burrows tried to leave for her mother’s house, but Shaw attacked her dog, causing it to defend her and inadvertently getting hurt by the knife in the process. He then grabbed the dog by the throat and stamped on its neck. Ms. Burrows was eventually able to escape to her mother’s house.
In a statement read out to the court, Ms. Burrows described how the incident had affected her, leaving her with post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, and nightmares. She stated that she felt “worthless” and that what happened to her was never going to leave her.
Shaw, who had previously been convicted of battery against Ms. Burrows, denied using the spade during the attack but admitted to two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm. His defence counsel told the court that he had moved away from the area and had abstained from alcohol. The defendant also suffers from rheumatoid arthritis.
Shaw was sentenced to 10 months in prison and given a five-year restraining order preventing him from contacting Ms. Burrows. The judge stated that domestic violence involved a breach of the trust of an intimate relationship and that appropriate punishment could only be achieved by an immediate term of custody.
