Lee Norris, a 51-year-old builder from Sutton, has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison for a violent assault on a woman in Portslade. The incident took place on Tuesday, November 8, when Norris fled the scene of a collision with another vehicle.
After a member of the public reported the collision, Police quickly identified Norris as the driver through video footage of the incident. Later that evening, officers located him at a property in Portslade, where they discovered a distressed woman with significant facial injuries. Despite her pain and fear of Norris, she revealed that he had subjected her to a sustained violent assault, including strangulation, and had threatened to kill her if she reported it to the police.
Upon apprehending Norris inside the address, authorities observed blood on his hands and arrested him on suspicion of several offences, including causing actual bodily harm, making threats to kill, failing to stop after a road accident, and driving without insurance. Subsequently, he was arrested for intentional strangulation and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
Norris pleaded guilty to all six charges during his appearance at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, November 10, and was remanded in custody. On Monday, June 19, at Chichester Crown Court, he received a sentence of four years and six months in prison, with an additional two years to be spent on an extended licence due to being deemed dangerous. Additionally, a restraining order was issued against him for six years, and he was disqualified from driving for 63 months.
Detective Sergeant Jenny Pietersen, from Brighton and Hove’s Safeguarding Investigations Unit, commended the victim’s bravery and the prompt action of the officers responding to the emergency call. She emphasized the importance of reporting domestic abuse and assured that the police and their partners would ensure the safety of those affected by domestic abuse and bring them the justice they deserve. Pietersen highlighted that domestic abuse can escalate from subtle behaviours to serious violence or psychological control, urging anyone experiencing such abuse to seek help and report it to the Police.
