A MUM says she has been left scarred for life after the man she was dating attacked her with a vacuum cleaner.

Craig Costello, of Richmond Road, Hindley Green, was jailed for 16 months at Liverpool Crown Court on May 28 after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

His victim, who does not wish not to be named, told the Journal she has been left with both physical and mental scars.

The mother-of-two, from Atherton, had been dating 31-year-old Costello for three months but said his behaviour became increasingly erratic.

“I met him at work last December and he was brilliant up until New Year’s Eve when he just changed after a few drinks and got really aggressive. He promised he would get help,” she said.

“He came across as a troubled soul. He promised me he would get help and I believed him but every time I met up with him he would drink and fly off the handle.”

The 34-year-old broke off the relationship in February but in April she called him up to find out how he was getting on.

“We met up and he said he was getting counselling for his behaviour and he seemed fine so I asked if he wanted to come back to mine to talk,” she said.

“As soon as I walked through the door he changed and flew into a rage.

I was helping him out to a taxi because he was absolutely paralytic when he punched me on the jaw causing me to fly back into the fireplace.

“As I was getting up he came at me with the vacuum cleaner and repeatedly hit me over the left side of my head with it, splitting it open.

“I had to have my face glued back together. I still have a big bump on my head and a scar down my face.

“I can’t see how I will ever trust anyone again because all he did was lie to me. He lied about his family – using a bad upbringing as an excuse – but there is no excuse for his behaviour.

“He will be out soon and I am protected because the judge issued a restraining order, but I want to make sure I doesn’t happen to anyone else.”