Rugby man avoids prison after carrying out vicious attack on his girlfriend, leaving her with a scar

A Rugby man carried out a vicious drunken attack on his girlfriend, pulling out a clump of hair and leaving her with a scar to her forehead.

But despite Adam Potts being wanted by the police at the time for a similarly nasty attack on his step-father, he has escaped being jailed.

Potts (30) of Stephen Street, Rugby, had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to assaulting his step-father and wounding his then-girlfriend during incidents less than a month apart.

He was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years, and was ordered to take part in offending, building better relationships and alcohol abstinence programmes.

Recorder Michelle Heeley QC also ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and to pay his ex-girlfriend £500 compensation.

Prosecutor Siobhan Collins said that in December 2019 Potts and his ex-girlfriend were watching a boxing match with his step-father when the two men, who had been drinking, began to argue.

His step-father, who was described as frail, swung a punch at Potts, who reacted by launching a vicious attack, knocking him to the floor and then stamping on his back, neck and head.

Potts then called his mother, who had gone out, to tell her: “I’ve just battered your husband five times.”

His mother went home and heard Potts threatening ‘I’m going to kill him’ and swinging a wooden chair at him before picking up a bottle and hitting him twice to the head with it.

She called the police, but Potts had left before they arrived – and they were looking to speak to him when he carried out a drunken attack on his ex-girlfriend in January last year.

They had been drinking gin before going out, and after they had returned and continued drinking, he turned on her, grabbing her by the neck and trying to strangle her.

She managed to get free and went to get her phone to call for help, in fear for her safety, but Potts grabbed her by the hair and punched her a number of times to the face and head.

She fell to the floor, bleeding badly from a wound to her forehead, but he continued to attack her, and she later said it was ‘as if he couldn’t stop.’

Eventually he did stop and left, and when the police arrived they found a large clump of her hair on the floor, and she was taken to hospital where the wound was closed.

Afterwards Potts messaged her to say he was sorry – but made no comment when he was arrested and interviewed, said Miss Collins.

In a statement his ex-girlfriend, who has a 1.5-inch scar to her forehead, described Potts as ‘an unpredictable individual’ who had left her fearing for her safety in her own home.

But pleading for leniency in his statement, the step-father said he had forgiven Potts, adding: “I know he has learned his lesson and is very sorry. Adam is a good lad who deserves a chance.”

Philip Vollans, defending, said that on both occasions Potts had been drinking heavily and had acted out of character, and his remorse for the attack on his ex-girlfriend was demonstrated by his text messages to her.

Sentencing Potts, Recorder Heeley told him: “The injuries I have seen should disgust you to see what you have caused. In the photographs she was covered in blood.

“You knew the police wanted to speak to you [after the assault on his step father] but you got yourself drunk again and you were violent again, this time towards your partner.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, picking on a defenceless woman just because you couldn’t handle your drink.

“I have read many positive character references, and to your credit you have taken yourself away from alcohol.

“I am told you are remorseful, but you didn’t help yourself by not pleading guilty until the day of trial.

“But in the two years since these offences you have stayed out of trouble. I am going to give you a chance.”