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A woman was left convinced she would die at the hands of her brutal partner during a savage attack which saw him smother her with a pillow while on a cruise. David Morris, 57, described by a judge as a “serial physical abuser of women,” launched the terrifying attack on his partner while the two were alone in their cabin on the P&O cruise to Belgium and France. The woman was left with significant bruising, a friction burn to her arm and a suspected fracture to her rib cage after Morris shouted at her , knocked her to the floor, and told her she did not deserve to live. He emptied cold water from the kettle all over her and when she tried to get away he pushed her to the floor. He dragged her across the room, threatened to pour boiling water over her head, and told her he would kill her. He then held a pillow over her head for about 30 seconds which left her fearing she would die. Morris was jailed for 46 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court for his bullying attack on his partner. Prosecutor Fiona Cortese said the defendant assaullted his partner on the cruise after she returned to their cabin from a visit to the ship’s hairdressers. She wanted to get ready for the evening when he asked her to look at something. Miss Cortese said: "He told her she was not listening. He shouted at her. She asked him to calm down. He told her she had pushed him too far. He said she was being ungrateful and selfish. She tried to calm him down. He pushed her off the bed into a wall. She went to the floor. Every time she wanted to get up he pushed her back down. He said, 'You do not deserve to live, you do not deserve a life'. "He told her not to speak. He picked up a kettle with cold water and poured it over her. He filled it up in the bathroom. She got up and went to the door. He caught her and pushed her to the floor, dragged her back to the bed causing a burn to her arm. She tried to bang on the cabin wall and seek help for herself. "The water was starting to boil. He told her she was not going out the cabin that night and he would kill her. "He picked up a pillow and put it over her face. He held it tightly. She struggled to breathe. She thought she was going to die. She felt as though she was losing sensation in her fingers. She tried to pull him off her but felt too weak. "The defendant sat on a chair. She asked what she had done to deserve what had taken place. He said, 'I did it because I am sick of you'. He complained she had photos of her previous partner on display in her home." The victim convinced him to go for a drink and some food. She returned to the cabin for her passport, house key and bank card and reported the defendant to staff at the reception. He left the ship when it docked in France the next day. Her injuries included bruising to both eyes and her ear and a burn to her arm. She went to hospital on April 6 and it was suspected she had a fracture to her rib cage. Morris was arrested on April 7. In a victim statement the woman said she lost her previous partner unexpectedly five years ago. She said the incident at the hands of Morris was the most terrifying experience of her life. She said: "I was concerned I was going to die in that cabin. He repeatedly told me he was going to kill me. I was helpless, I was trapped. I am 5ft 2inches, he is 6ft 2inches. I stood no chance of defending myself against the attack. There was no warning, no argument." She has suffered flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, anxiety, she struggles to sleep and she does not feel safe in her own home. "I believe he is a danger to women. I gave him my trust. He destroyed it by trying to destroy me," she said. In a second statement the woman added: "It will live with me forever. My mental health has not improved." Morris, of Sutton Court, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to suffocation. The court heard he has previous convictions for violence including making a threat to kill in 2008. Emily Andrew, mitigating, said Morris had spent 196 days in custody and had showed he can stay out of trouble for significant periods of time. She said: "It was not a random attack." Miss Andrew conceded the offences crossed the custody threshold but she said it could be suspended as there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. She said: "He would benefit from intervention regarding relationships. He is assessed as appropriate for the Building Choices programme." Miss Andrew added that Morris is a Railway Trains Manager and there is a job for him on his release. Judge Richard McConaghy said: "You had been increasingly volatile and aggressive to her in the run up to a short cruise that you were going on. "When you were on that cruise you launched an attack on her in the cabin that you shared. You initially shouted at her. You knocked her to the floor. You told her she did not deserve to live. You emptied cold water from the kettle all over her. When she tried to get away you pushed her to the floor. You dragged her across the room. You threatened to pour boiling water over her head. You told her you would kill her. "You held a pillow over her head for about 30 seconds. She thought she was going to die. She felt significant tingling in her fingers from the suspected impact of what it was you were doing to her. You told her you had done it because you were sick of her. "She was left with significant bruising and a friction burn to her arm. She also had a suspected fracture to her rib cage. "You are a serial physical abuser of women. The pre-sentence report is worrying reading indeed. It indicates your controlling, entrenched attitude to how you think you can control those around you. You are a deeply dangerous man. You pose a significant risk of serious harm to those with whom you are in an intimate relationship with." Judge McConaghy made Morris the subject of a restraining order which prohibits him contacting his victim. It will run until further order.
