A HUSBAND attacked his wife with a vacuum cleaner tool she had used to try and defend herself — and broke her phone to stop a desperate call for help.

Residents in a communal kitchen of a Carlisle house saw the woman in an extremely distressed state on March 25.

“She was terrified, shaking and crying hysterically,” prosecutor Gerard Rogerson told the city’s crown court.

The woman had a black eye with swollen hands and wrists, and demonstrated that the injuries had been caused with a punching motion.

Police were called and the woman gave details of a prolonged assault carried out by her husband, 32-year-old Marius Popa.

The woman told how she had travelled to the UK in February to be with her husband and while things were fine to begin with, Popa then began raising his hands to her.

During an argument in March 25, Popa punched his wife’s hands and fingers while intoxicated by alcohol, as she pushed him away.

“She tried to run away but Mr Popa would not let her run out of the room,” said Mr Rogerson.

She managed to run away.

“When asked about her injuries following that incident, she said that she had sprained two of her fingers and that she had bumps and lumps and bruises to her legs from where Mr Popa attacked her with an attachment from a hoover, that being an implement she had initially tried to defend herself with,” said the prosecutor.

“The incident, she said, lasted around 20 to 30 minutes. There was not much conversation during the incident as he was punching her, grabbing her, lifting her and slamming her down.

“She also said that he had smashed her phone when she had tried to contact the police during the incident.”

After Popa was given a prison sentence for a separate assault in April, his wife moved out and did not let him know where she was living.

She asked a friend to pass on a package which Popa had sent to their old address.

“The friend did that and to her horror she saw when they had delivered the parcel Mr Popa had followed them and was outside her new address,” said Mr Rogerson.

So began a period of stalking during which Popa repeated tried to make unwanted contact despite her attacks to block him electronically.

He also secured work at the factory where she was employed and on one shift was placed on the same production line as her husband.

A request to a supervisor that she be moved was denied.

“She says he knew she worked there and began working there deliberately,” the court heard.

In an impact statement, the woman described 'living in fear' of her husband amid his violence and control.

“She felt unsafe and vulnerable, and she wanted to cry every day,” said Mr Rogerson. “Following the separation she experience a sense of freedom and peace and calm.”

Popa admitted actual bodily harm assault, stalking and criminal damage.

“He is remorseful,” said defence solicitor Sean Harkin, who told the court Popa had been in the UK since 2018. “He wants me to express his remorse. His experience in custody will no doubt have a deterrent effect.”

Judge Nicholas Barker jailed Romanian national Popa, of Warwick Road, Carlisle, for a total of 26 months.

“Undoubtedly she has suffered stress and psychological harm,” said the judge, who also banned Popa from having any contact with the woman for five years.