A 21-year-old father has walked free from court after being convicted of strangling a woman and biting her cheek so hard that she felt his teeth sink into her face. Liam Rawson, from Coseley, was handed a suspended sentence at Wolverhampton Crown Court after previously being found guilty of intentional strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The court heard that Rawson, who works at the Apple Tree Inn in Coseley and claims Universal Credit, launched the attack after a confrontation in a Tipton pub. The victim was with him at The Tilted Barrel when he began demanding to see her phone.
Demand to see phone sparked the assault
Prosecutor Maninder Chaggar told the court that Rawson, of Fountain Lane, started interrogating the victim at around 6pm, repeatedly asking: "Who are you messaging, what are you hiding?" The woman insisted she was not hiding anything, but Rawson did not believe her and tried to pull her mobile phone from her jacket pocket.
When the victim said she was going home, Rawson refused to let her leave. She attempted to climb over him, only for the defendant to push her back into her chair. The pair eventually left the pub together, appearing calm as they walked along Parkes Lane.
Choke and bite on Parkes Lane
But outside, Rawson again demanded to see the victim's phone and asked her to "tell him the truth". When she refused, he grabbed her neck with his right hand and squeezed hard enough that she stopped breathing momentarily. Although she did not lose consciousness, the prosecution said the woman felt his grip tighten as he took her phone.
While scrolling through the device, Rawson held his arms in the air so the victim could not snatch it back. He then issued a chilling warning, telling her: "Drop the attitude before I slap it out of you," and threatening to "smack your head in right now". As she repeatedly denied seeing anyone else, the defendant grabbed her face and bit down on her left cheek.
The victim later described feeling his teeth go into her face, leaving a layer of broken skin and drawing blood. In pain and distress, she began to cry, but Rawson sought to downplay the violence, instructing her that if she told her mother about the ordeal, she should say they had been "play fighting".
Hospital and police report
After the attack, Rawson handed back the phone and returned to shouting accusations as the woman headed home. She went to hospital to be treated for the cut to her cheek and subsequently reported the incident to the police. The court was told Rawson gave a prepared statement in interview denying the offences, but he was later convicted after a trial at Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court in relation to the incident, which took place in 2025.
Remorse and suspended sentence
In mitigation, defence barrister Charlie Denney said Rawson has "no desire" to contact his victim and fully understands he has let his family down. "He is remorseful. He is scared to go to prison," Denney said.
Judge Perry acknowledged that Rawson, who has no previous convictions, is not at high risk of reoffending and has realistic prospects of rehabilitation. He handed the 21-year-old a 21-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with a rehabilitation programme requirement and 250 hours of unpaid work. A three-year restraining order was also imposed.
As the sentence was passed, Judge Perry issued a stark warning to Rawson: "This is your final chance - don't waste it."
