A drug-addled yob who dodged jail despite a fiery exchange with a sheriff left court, went straight to his partner’s home and carried out a sickening assault on her.
Lewis Gibbs’ partner had a chunk of her ear missing, as well as a broken arm and facial fractures, as a result of the terrifying attack, which came just hours after the previous court appearance.
At one point, he choked her and only stopped when her dog intervened and tried to attack him.
Gibbs’ own solicitor admitted he was “in no way surprised” when his client committed another offence straight after leaving court.
After admitting the vile attack, Gibbs “attempted to justify” his actions when speaking to social workers – who then recommended he be given a community sentence.
On January 18, Gibbs appeared at in the dock over another matter and admitted charges including assaulting a retail worker.
However, during that appearance, Gibbs appeared irate and irrational, constantly interrupting proceedings, raising his voice, swearing and insisting he had a “right to speak”.
He was repeatedly chastised by Sheriff Shirley McKenna who told him: “Not just now you don’t.”
‘There was a protracted exchange between him and the sheriff’
Despite Gibbs’ disruptive behaviour – which included claims about someone threatening to “eat” his kids and claiming to have a “f****** melon” coming out of his head – he was handed a curfew and supervision instead of custody.
And as soon as he left court, Gibbs made his way to his partner’s address on Cairngorm Drive where he carried out a terrifying attack.
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told Aberdeen Sheriff Court Gibbs and his victim had been together for just three months prior to the attack.
Gibbs arrived between 3pm and 3.30pm while his partner was socialising with a friend.
The friendly quickly left the flat after an argument with Gibbs.
Mr Middleton said: “The accused became irate and repeatedly punched the complainer and threatened to throw her from the window.
“The complainer was on the ground and the accused then sat on top of her and placed his hands around her neck, applying pressure.
“The complainer described this as feeling like the accused did it for a long time, albeit she was not sure exactly how long the compressing lasted.
“She did not lose consciousness.”
Gibbs only let go of the woman’s throat when her dog started attacking him in a bid to save her.
She then tried to get to her feet but Gibbs kept kicking her back to the ground.
Mr Middleton said: “The accused then picked up a piece of broken glass from the floor, around 30cm long, and jumped over the bed towards the complainer whilst brandishing it at her.
“The complainer put up her hands and the accused dropped the glass in a corner of the bedroom.”
‘It was obvious he was very much under the influence of something’
Eventually, Gibbs seemed to calm down and fell asleep, giving his partner the chance to escape the address.
Police officers arrived just after 5pm and the injured woman was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Officers forced entry to the address and traced Gibbs in the bedroom where he was arrested and taken to Kittybrewster station.
Mr Middleton told the court: “At the charge bar, the accused suddenly and without warning attempted to bite one constable to the left hand.”
He was restrained to the ground and, a short time later when he required to be searched in his cell, he acted aggressively, shouting and swearing and making a homophobic comment to officers.
Meanwhile his partner was treated at hospital and found to have suffered the following injuries:
- A broken left arm
- Facial fractures
- Bruising and swelling around her left eye
- Bruising around her neck
- A “chunk” removed from her left ear
In an earlier incident on January 14, Gibbs deliberately damaged a pipe attached to the boiler in his partner’s block of flats following an argument.
Neighbours in the same block noticed water coming through their ceilings.
Officers who had attended also noticed a “large amount of water pouring from above through the whole block”.
The source was found to be a burst pipe attached to the boiler in a small, insecure room on the communal landing outside the front door of the flat Gibb’s partner’s flat.
Gibbs, who had earlier left following a row with his partner, reattended at 9.30am and “confirmed the damage to the boiler pipe was deliberate”.
The total value of repairs is estimated to be between £5,000 and £10,000.
Gibbs, a prisoner of HMP Kilmarnock, pled guilty to assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement, assaulting a police officer, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, and malicious mischief.
Sought to ‘minimise and attempt to justify to some extent’ behaviour
Defence agent Michael Burnett told the court: “The complainer appears to remain supportive of Mr Gibbs and is in regular contact with me asking for updates on the case.”
Referring to Gibbs’ previous court appearance immediately prior to this offence, Mr Burnett said: “It was obvious to me he was very much under the influence of something.
“He was argumentative and aggressive and at one point he fell asleep outside the court and it took quite some effort from the court police officer to wake him.
“There was a protracted exchange between him and the sheriff.”
The solicitor said he feared his client would be locked up for contempt of court following that incident.
He added: “Surprisingly, the case was disposed of. He left the court, went to the complainer’s property and committed this offence.
“When I discovered the next day he was in custody for something else I was in no way surprised.”
Sheriff Gareth Jones highlighted that Gibbs also sought to “minimise and attempt to justify to some extent” his behaviour in the social work report.
He jailed him for 24 months and imposed a 12-month supervision order on release.
Due to Gibbs’ partner not being in favour of one, no non-harassment order was imposed.
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