A man has been accused of brutally assaulting his partner with various weapons, strangling her, tearing off her clothes, biting off a piece of her ear, and forcing her face into a cat litter tray in an attempt to make her eat it, Swansea Crown Court heard.

The court was told that when 29-year-old Jared Warlow, who has a history of domestic violence, was apprehended by the police, he alleged that his victim had attacked him because he refused to sleep with her, claiming he was acting in self-defence.

The woman was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where medics discovered a multitude of injuries including a jaw broken on both sides, six fractured ribs, a fractured spine, multiple liver wounds, an injury to her right ear, bruises and swelling to the face, body, and arms, and a traumatic knee injury.

The court heard that the woman now suffers from tinnitus, chipped teeth, and a lack of sensation in her face from the bridge of her nose down her neck due to nerve damage which is likely to be permanent.

The judge handed Warlow an extended sentence as a dangerous offender, describing his treatment of the woman as "sadistic" and "horrific beyond words". For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter, reports Wales Online.

Prosecutor Craig Jones informed the court that Warlow and the complainant had only been in a relationship for a few weeks at the time of the assault, having met at the Wetherspoons pub where the woman was employed.

On 28th June this year, the couple were at the woman's house where Warlow was drinking vodka to "bring himself down" from the cocaine he had previously consumed. When the woman attempted to leave the property to meet a group of other mothers, Warlow grabbed her, dragged her onto the floor and removed one of her shoes.

This marked the start of a prolonged assault on the woman that lasted approximately 45 minutes. The court heard how Warlow repeatedly struck the woman, tore off her clothes, jumped on her head as she lay curled up on the floor, and then repeatedly kicked her in the head.

He then beat the woman with a loft ladder before "swapping weapons" and hitting her with a fan and then a vacuum cleaner. At one point, Warlow opened a bedroom window and threatened to throw the woman out, telling her that given what he had already done, "he may as well kill her".

The court heard that Warlow dragged the woman down the stairs and tried to force her - still naked - out into the street. Despite resisting being thrown out, the assault continued with Warlow repeatedly punching and kicking his partner before getting on top of her and biting a lump out of her ear.

He then put both hands around her neck and squeezed until the woman felt like she was losing consciousness.

The court was told that Warlow then dragged the woman into the kitchen where he violently smashed her head against the cupboards and doused her with a can of drink before forcing her face into the cat litter tray and attempting to make her consume its contents.

Eventually, the unclothed woman managed to escape into the garden but was chased by the defendant. As Warlow pursued his victim, he informed the children playing in the neighbouring garden that the woman was fleeing because he had rejected her sexual advances.

The terrified woman sought sanctuary with a neighbour, who promptly called the police.

Upon arrival, officers found the victim in the neighbour's house, described as being in a "largely unresponsive state" and only able to communicate by squeezing an officer's hand.

She was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where it was discovered she had sustained a broken jaw, six fractured ribs, a fractured spine, multiple liver wounds, a mutilated right ear with the top missing, extensive bruising and swelling to the face, body, and arms, and a severe knee injury.

The victim required surgery to insert metal plates into her jaw.

Meanwhile, Warlow had fled from the scene after contacting a friend for a lift. It was through this friend's vehicle that police were able to locate and apprehend the defendant.

In his interview, Warlow claimed that his partner had attacked him because he refused her sexual advances, insisting that he acted in self-defence and did not intend to cause her serious harm.

The victim's statement, read out in court by the prosecution barrister, revealed the sheer terror she felt when she realised Warlow would not cease his attack, an experience she said she would never forget.

She described the unprovoked assault as causing her "pain and humiliation beyond words", leaving her "crippled with anxiety and depression".

Jared Warlow, from Coleshill Terrace, Llanelli, had previously admitted to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent when he appeared for sentencing.

His criminal record includes attempted robbery, possession of an imitation firearm, breaching a restraining order and five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).

The court was informed that two of the ABH charges were attacks on previous partners - one involved Warlow violently throwing the woman around and threatening to kill her, while the other saw him choking and punching the woman, beating her with a belt whilst discussing forcing her head into a fish tank to drown her.

His most recent conviction for ABH in 2022 involved him attacking a man on the streets of Llanelli, repeatedly kicking him in the testicles and hurling anti-English slurs at him before ordering him to leave Wales.

James Hartson, representing Warlow, told the court his client understood he faced a substantial sentence.

The barrister acknowledged there was little he could say about the offences that would assist either his client or the court, but noted Warlow believed the incident wouldn't have occurred had he not been "heavily intoxicated".

The barrister explained that a member of the clergy who had known his client for approximately 17 years - having first met him when Warlow was a 16 year old prisoner at a young offenders institution in Bristol - had submitted a character reference describing the defendant as a pleasant and considerate young man.

The barrister added that Warlow had penned a letter to the court expressing remorse for his conduct and the ordeal he had inflicted upon the victim, stating he would carry the guilt of his actions for the remainder of his life.

Judge Geraint Walters revealed that in his 24 years presiding over cases both part- and full-time, he had seldom encountered such harrowing details in a non-murder trial.

He addressed Warlow directly: "There is no more you could have done to her than you did" and branded the defendant's treatment of the woman as "sadistic" and "horrific beyond words".

The judge declared Warlow a "violent individual" who "routinely raises his fists to women" and concluded that an extended sentence as a dangerous offender was essential to safeguard the public from the threat he represents. With a discount for his guilty plea, Warlow was made the subject of a 16-year extended sentence comprising 12 years in custody followed by a four-year licence period.

He can apply to be released after serving two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be let out.