Raunds man told female accomplice to smash bottle over head of his vulnerable girlfriend

Desmond Hooper, 43, and Stacey McMillan launched an unprovoked attack on the woman after Hooper became jealous of other people who had sent her texts.

Northampton Crown Court heard how Hooper had been in a relationship with a younger woman who he was living with him in his flat in Raunds.

But his behaviour became controlling and he took her house keys, started choosing her clothing, witheld her phone, took her money and was violent toward her.

McMillan also began staying at the flat with the couple and, on April 4 last year, Hooper started going through his partner’s phone.

The court was told by barrister Paul Raudnitz KC, prosecuting, that Hooper told the victim he was going to ask her about each of the people who had messaged her.

"She said she had nothing to hide,” said Mr Raudnitz.

"He looked at Ms McMillan and said ‘she’s lying, lick her up.’”

McMillan, 32, then hit the victim in the face and on the back of the head with a bottle, causing an injury to both her head and cheek.

The wound continued to bleed for several hours until eventually an ambulance was called.

Hooper told the victim to lie to the crew, telling them she had ‘had a seizure’ and hurt her head, but paramedics were suspicious and asked if anyone had hurt her.

"She became tearful,” said Mr Raudnitz, and she was taken to hospital. While in hospital, Hooper sent McMillan to get the victim’s bank cards so she couldn’t spend any money.

In a victim personal statement to the court, the woman said that the violence had ‘shocked her to her core’ and that it had taken away her confidence.

"I used to talk to anyone,” she said, “and now I avoid contact with people I don’t know.

"It’s taken away my self-worth.

"I feel I can’t be in a relationship with anyone again.

"It will take a long time to recover from the trauma.”

Hooper, of Gladstone Street, Raunds was at Northampton Crown Court to be sentenced for S20 Grievous Bodily Harm and coercive and controlling behaviour. The court heard he had 25 previous convictions dating back nearly 30 years including for assault, robbery and domestic violence.

McMillan admitted actual bodily harm. The court heard her 51 previous convictions including many for dishonesty. She is currently serving a four-year jail term for a robbery which she carried out in October 2024 in Great Yarmouth.

Along with two male accomplices, she went into a shop in Nelson Road and tried to leave with a bag of alcohol.

When challenged, the shopkeeper was headed by one of the men while McMillan went behind the counter to steal more bottles off the shelf.

She had also served a 12 month prison sentence for breaching a community order in 2023.

For Hooper, who wore a grey t-shirt and gold rosary beads, barrister Derek Johashen said his client now ‘wanted to get on with his life.’

"He’s going to make sure he never finds himself before the courts again,” he said.

For McMillan, Adam Pearson said his client had made ‘great strides’ in prison and was hoping to do a building apprenticeship on her release.

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane said the victim had been ‘at a low ebb in her life’ when Hooper met her.

"The reality was that she told the jury that she lived under fear of violence,” she said.

"You told McMillan to ‘lick her up’ and she did.

"An ambulance was called and you told the victim to lie, and she did because she was scared of you.”

Hooper was given four years and four months in prison. McMillan was given 10 months in prison to be served consecutively to the sentence she is already serving meaning her release date will be mid-2027.