'Controlling and cowardly' Lancashire man jailed for paralysing partner in brutal attack after years of abuse
A Lancashire man has been jailed for 20 years after leaving his partner paralysed in a violent attack that brought years of coercive and controlling abuse to a devastating climax.
Robert Easom was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Thursday (February 27) after being found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The court heard how the attack on February 17 last year severed Trudi Burgess’s spinal cord, leaving her permanently paralysed and requiring specialist care.
Easom, formerly of Longridge Road, Chipping, and now of no fixed address, had subjected Ms Burgess to eight years of sustained abuse before the final assault.
In a powerful victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Burgess described how the crime had “taken away everything” she had built and planned for.
“This crime has taken away everything I built, planned for and enjoyed,” she said.
“It has robbed me of my health, my independence, my ability to care for my family, my career, my freedom and my peace of mind.
“Each day is a physical, emotional and mental battle. This injury is permanent. I will never get back the life I had.
“This isn’t just a physical injury, it is the destruction of a life. And the pain doesn’t stop with me – the ripples of pain are felt by everyone who loves me and cares for me.”
She also warned others about Easom’s behaviour, telling the court he had a “Jekyll and Hyde personality” and could switch “in a moment into a truly terrifying monster”.
Her daughter said the attack had caused “deep and lasting trauma” for the entire family.
.jpeg?trim=54,0,160,0&crop=&width=640&quality=65)
“My mum has always been my safe place,” she said.
“When I received the call to say that she had been seriously injured, I went into shock.
“I knew there was a chance we might lose her, and from that moment life has never been the same again.”
She described the emotional toll as feeling like “something evil has touched my life”, adding that the family now faces a lifetime of painful reminders of what has been taken from them.
Ms Burgess’s son said the assault had “dismantled her independence, her role within our family, and the future we all assumed she would have”.
“What was done to my mother did not only injure her,” he said.
“It has imposed a permanent harm on everyone around her.
“This is not something that ends. This is something we will carry for the rest of our lives.”
The court heard that throughout their relationship Easom subjected Ms Burgess to repeated verbal abuse, violence and intimidation.
She documented incidents in the notes section of her phone, describing a cycle in which Easom would be abusive before apologising and acting affectionately.
Incidents included dragging her around a bathroom while threatening her, banging her against stairs, driving dangerously to frighten her and, on one occasion, placing a sheet over her head and strangling her.
Despite attempts to leave, Ms Burgess became trapped in the cycle of abuse as Easom belittled her and undermined her confidence.
The violence escalated when she told him she was ending the relationship.
After the brutal assault left her paralysed, Easom called an ambulance claiming she had suffered an accident and “fallen out of bed”.
Following a trial in November, Easom was convicted of Section 18 assault.
He had previously admitted engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour between July 2017 and February last year, as well as two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
.jpeg?trim=84,3,174,0&crop=&width=640&quality=65)
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, comprising a 16-year custodial term and a four-year extended licence period.
Detective Constable Bethanie Kirk, of Lancashire Police’s Burnley Vulnerable Adults Team, described Easom as “a manipulative, controlling and cowardly individual”.
She said: “His reckless and repulsive actions could very easily have led to Trudi’s death. I welcome the sentence handed down, which reflects the very real danger he poses to women.
“I hope that Trudi’s story will encourage others who find themselves in an abusive relationship to contact police, knowing they will be believed and listened to.”
Anyone experiencing domestic abuse can report concerns online via Lancashire Police’s website or by calling 101. In an emergency, always call 999.
Support is also available via the No Excuse for Abuse campaign website.