Abusive monster taped crying child's mouth shut and beat his partner in reign of terror

An abusive man who threw his partner across a room, injured one of her young children, and taped a crying child's mouth shut has been jailed.

William Stephen Stokes, 37, admitted assaulting his former partner and her children in a series of offences in Runcorn and Widnes. Stokes, of Rainhill, entered the relationship with the woman in 2022, with police saying the couple were happy for a time.

However, as time passed, Stokes became increasingly more aggressive, violent, and controlling. On one occasion, he threw his partner across the room - but his violence was not exclusively reserved for adults, reports Cheshire Live.

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During a car journey in March, 2023, Stokes spotted one of the children with their feet up on the seat – he became angry and grabbed at the child’s seatbelt, pulling it so tightly that the child was left with an injury to her hip.

A month later, one of the children woke up crying, enraging Stokes. He held the child down and taped her mouth shut with gaffer tape.

The victim found the courage to end the relationship with Stokes, and reported him to Cheshire Police that month. Stokes was arrested and bailed, with conditions that he should not contact the victim but his obsessive behaviour continued.

Some 12 days after he was reported, Stokes turned up at the children's school in Runcorn at home-time. After being collected by their mother, the children spotted Stokes walking nearby and began crying, begging their mother to take them home immediately.

Stok