MAN JAILED FOR ‘BRUTAL’ TWO-HOUR ROLLING PIN ASSAULT ON GIRLFRIEND
A man has received a 12-year prison sentence following a brutal two-hour assault on his girlfriend with a rolling pin.Patrick Berry, aged 51, carried out the attack at his partner’s residence in Bermondsey, London, after an argument related to a previous assault he had committed on another man months earlier.
At Blackfriars Crown Court, Berry was sentenced to nine years in prison with an extended licence period bringing the total to 12 years for grievous bodily harm with intent.
Additionally, he was sentenced to 40 months for the earlier assault.
All sentences will run concurrently.
The Metropolitan Police reported that the initial attack took place on December 1 of the previous year.
Berry and his then-girlfriend had gone to a friend’s house in south east London following an evening at the pub.
During the incident, a friend complimented the girlfriend’s attire, prompting Berry to leave the room, kick the man to the ground, sit on his chest, and repeatedly jab him in the face with nail scissors, allegedly aiming to stab his eyes.
When the man tried to escape, Berry stabbed him multiple times in the back, stamped on him, struck him with a chair, and then left with his girlfriend.
This 20-minute assault caused the victim to lose consciousness and required hospital care.
Berry was arrested and charged three weeks later.
On March 29, three months after the first incident, Berry visited his girlfriend’s Bermondsey home to discuss his upcoming trial.
His girlfriend told him she didn’t want to talk about the case, which led Berry to react violently, launching a sustained brutal attack in her kitchen.
For two hours, Berry assaulted her with a granite pestle and a rolling pin to render her unconscious, then kicked, stamped, and sat on her so she couldn’t breathe.
The woman sustained cuts totalling 45 centimetres to her scalp, requiring 21 staples and four stitches, along with severe bruising on her face and legs.
Berry was arrested again the following day and claimed he was not the attacker, claiming she had assaulted him instead.
The judge, Peter Clark, described the crime scene photos as reminiscent of a Greek tragedy, calling them “a scene from The Oresteia.” Law enforcement praised the victims’ courage and evidence, which were key in securing Berry’s conviction.
Detective Constable Sam Cafferty highlighted Berry’s dangerousness and commended the bravery of the victims, expressing hope that the sentence would bring them closure.
Detective Inspector Tracey Miller emphasized the seriousness of domestic violence and acknowledged the role of strong police and victim support partnerships in providing immediate specialist aid, which helped obtain compelling evidence from the victim.
