Lodger left woman with bleed to the brain after sudden and violent attack

A lodger attacked a woman with such ferocity in a sudden assault that he left her with a fractured eye socket and a bleed to the brain. Nottingham Crown Court heard how the victim was still recovering from a previous assault on a tram just weeks earlier when she was punched and kicked by Bruno Neves.

She spent days in intensive care being treated for her injuries which, remarkably, did not require surgery. Now the 39-year-old man who attacked her - during a minor argument over clothing - has been jailed for two years.

Sending him to prison, Recorder Simon King said: “The attack which you started on April 9, this year, left your victim with serious injuries. I accept there were previous injuries she had suffered when she had been attacked by someone else on a tram.

“But it is accepted by you that you delivered a number of punches and at least one kick and that the grave and serious injuries she suffered were caused by you on that occasion.

“Some may read this and think you have got off pretty lightly but it seems to me this is the right sentence for this case.” Robert Fitt, prosecuting, said the assault happened during the early hours of April 9, this year.

He said Neves was lodging with the victim and she and he got into an argument over clothing when he suddenly turned on her and started attacking her. The prosecutor said: “He suddenly punched her to the face and carried on punching her and there was at least one kick.

“She suffered a blow out orbital fracture and a Subdural hematoma. She spent a number of days in intensive care. A few weeks earlier she had also been assaulted by someone unconnected to this case when she was travelling on a tram and received injuries from that.”

Neves, of Melksham Road, Arnold, was originally charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm which he denied.

But he later pleaded just before his trial to a lesser charge of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, which the prosecution accepted. He has previous convictions including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and possession of a bladed article.

Gregor Purcel, mitigating, said his client has been on remand since he was arrested and charged with the offence. He said: “It must be custody. He knows that and I accept it on his behalf.”