'They always believe birds': Thug insists he's 'not a horrible person' after battering mother of his kids when she refused to make him a brew

A thug who battered the mother of his children when she refused to make him a brew told a court: "I'm not a horrible person." On another occasion, John Watson, 37, got the woman in a headlock and threw a shoe at her when she didn't respond quickly enough to his request to use her vape.

He told a judge: "I looked after her, I was good to her... but none of that ever gets mentioned." Watson has now been jailed after a court heard details of his 'truly atrocious' criminal record.

Watson, from north Manchester, and the woman had been in a 'troubled' relationship since 2018. They have two children, Manchester Crown Court was told. On November 29 last year, the pair were were at her flat when 'an argument broke out after the defendant asked her to make him a brew," Saul Brody, prosecuting said.

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"When she didn't, he became violent and punched her to the back of the head four times." A neighbour called police and Watson was arrested. He offered no comment and was bailed.

On February 14 this year, police received two 999 calls. The first was abandoned. In the second, his victim asked for police and an ambulance. Watson was heard saying words to the effect of 'what are you on about?'.

Officers found Watson at the woman's flat, in breach of his bail conditions. He was arrested. It was established he had asked to her to use her vape before lashing out.

"When she didn't initially give him it, he lost his temper," Mr Brody said. "He grabbed her face by the nose with an open palm." He also put her in a headlock and threw a trainer at her which.

Watson, of Sherdley Road, Crumpsall, pleaded guilty at an earlier