A 29-year-old man, Jared Warlow, has been jailed for a “sadistic” and brutal attack on his ex-girlfriend, leaving her with catastrophic injuries and forcing her face into a cat litter tray in a horrifying attempt to make her eat it. The attack, which lasted around 45 minutes, saw Warlow throttle his victim, tear off her clothes, bite off part of her ear, and strike her repeatedly with objects including a loft ladder, a fan, and a vacuum cleaner, Swansea Crown Court heard.
The woman was rushed to University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where doctors found multiple serious injuries: a broken jaw on both sides, six fractured ribs, a fractured spine, liver wounds, a deformed ear, bruising and swelling across her body, and a traumatic knee injury. She now suffers permanent nerve damage, tinnitus, a deformed ear, chipped teeth, and has lost sensation in part of her face.
Prosecutors described Warlow’s assault as “horrific beyond words.” The attack began when the woman attempted to leave to meet friends, but Warlow dragged her onto the floor and began a relentless assault, including dragging her down the stairs and threatening to throw her out of a window. He then forced her into the kitchen, banged her head against cupboards, poured a drink over her, and rubbed her face in cat litter. She eventually escaped naked into the garden and sought help from a neighbour, who alerted the police.
Warlow, who has a history of violence including previous assaults on partners, claimed he was acting in self-defence, alleging the victim had attacked him after he refused to sleep with her. He previously pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.
Judge Geraint Walters described Warlow as a “violent individual” who “routinely raises his fists to women” and called the assault “sadistic” and “horrific beyond words.” He sentenced Warlow to an extended 16-year sentence as a dangerous offender: 12 years in custody followed by a four-year licence period, with eligibility for parole after serving two-thirds of the custodial term.
The victim stated in court that the attack caused “pain and humiliation beyond words” and left her “crippled with anxiety and depression.”
