A man who beat, kicked and burnt his girlfriend during a five-hour torture session was sentenced to five years in prison last week.

Glen Lesley McCormac was jailed by Judge Susan Tapping at Harrow Crown Court on Friday (April 25) after a jury found him guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Anna Mann, and intimidating her with more than 40 threatening phone calls.

He was cleared of a false imprisonment charge.

The 53-year-old had drunkenly punched and kicked Miss Mann, cut her with a diver's knife and burnt her with cigarettes on August 25 at his flat in North Circular Road in Hendon. Miss Mann said he tried to strangle her with a tie, but the medical evidence did not support her claim.

"He burnt me lots of times," said Miss Mann. "There was no pattern, it was just whenever he felt like it. He was smiling. I cannot count all the times he punched me, it was lots."

McCormac was previously convicted of GBH in 1973. He was married when he began a six-year relationship with Miss Mann in 1997.

Judge Tapping said: "Both you and Anna Mann were influenced and to some extent out of control because of alcohol and cocaine."

McCormac was sentenced to four years imprisonment for GBH, and one year for intimidation.

April 30, 2003 19:00