Telford man knocked out partner's teeth with beer bottle and tried to break her fingers, court hears

Robert Reynolds, 54, is charged with attacking his then-girlfriend after following her into her bathroom following an argument in August last year.

He is also accused of another brutal attack on her in January this year, when he is said to have rained down punches and slaps before kicking her in the back of the head and trying to break her fingers.

Reynolds, of Hills Lane Drive in Madeley, Telford, denies two charges of causing actual bodily harm to the woman.

Relationship

On Tuesday, she gave evidence behind a curtain at Reynolds' trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

Under questioning from prosecuting barrister Rob Edwards she said she and Reynolds had known each other since she was a teenager, and that they were in a relationship from about late 2016.

In August 2018 they got into an argument while they were at her Telford home and she went into the bathroom, she said.

"He said I was stupid, I was thick. I wanted to get away, I closed the toilet door because there was no reason for him to follow me into the toilet. But he did.

"I can feel the tension brewing and I don't trust him. He followed me and he wanted to continue the argument."

Laughed

She tried to close the door on Reynolds three times, and said that on the third attempt he told her 'here, have this', and swung a bottle of Desperados at the right side of her face.

"I lost two teeth, I spat one out and I swallowed another one and the rest of the teeth were all wobbly.

"Rob just laughed at me. He said I was a wuss or something like that. I started to panic and cry because a lot of blood was coming out of my mouth.

"I didn't really know the extent of the damage while I was spitting blood on the floor of the toilet."

Reynolds then told her she had run into the bottle, or that he swung it because he thought she was going to hit him, she said.

After Reynold left she went to see her mother nearby, who called the police.

Injuries

In August this year, the two were sitting on a couch when the woman said she wanted to end the relationship.

"He chose that the time I wanted to leave him was the time he could hurt me and do what he wanted with me.

"He slapped me about 10 times and he punched me about 10 times."

She claimed the assault continued throughout the house, and that at one point she grabbed a knife to frighten him.

Eventually he left her house after causing her a black eye and injuries to her chin as well as twisting her fingers to try and break them, she said.

The jury was shown pictures of her injuries.

Reynolds is represented by Debra White. In cross-examination she put it to the complainant that she had been continuing the argument herself when she went to the bathroom, and that Reynolds followed her in order to hear her better.

She said that the complainant "launched" herself at the toilet door and that is when she hit her face on the bottle.

The complainant said she did launch herself at the door but with the intention of shutting it, and said it was Reynolds that continued the argument against her wishes.

He denies both charges and the trial continues.