Colin Ferry had sought to distance himself from the “serious organised crime” that was the “family business,” a court was told, but he attacked his partner for ordering a pizza to the wrong house
A woman was so terrified of her partner that she jumped out of a first-floor window breaking her back and ankle.
Described as the ‘black sheep’ of a well-known organised crime family, a court heard how Colin Ferry had sought to distance himself from the “serious organised crime ” that was the “family business” – however he lost his temper and attacked his partner after she got a pizza delivered to the wrong house.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how the woman, who had been in a relationship with Ferry for four months, chose to leap from an upstairs window to escape his attacks. The trial heard how she felt she was walking on egg shells because he was controlling and jealous”.
On September 22, 2023, they’d argued in the morning and at some stage, she’d ordered a takeaway pizza, ChronicleLive reports.
When it was delivered to the wrong address, Ferry said she was useless and and called her offensive names and said he could “see why other lads had battered her in the past”, the court heard. He ended up punching her in the face, causing bruising.
Fearing his behaviour would escalate and that he might use a knife, she “felt compelled” to jump out of a first floor window to get away from him. She landed on her left heel, which bend under her, so all her weight was on it.
She ran up the street shouting for help and ended up at a tyre shop, where a member of staff said she looked “terrified”. She told a member of staff she needed help because “he was coming after her”.
‘He’s coming after me’
She said Ferry had attacked her and she had to jump out of the window to escape. She also told the worker: “He attacked me because I ordered a pizza and it got sent to the wrong address.”
The woman was taken to hospital and was found to have a broken vertebrae and fractured ankle. In a victim impact statement, she said she is “petrified” and added: “Since the incident my life has turned upside down.”
She said she has needed surgery on her injuries and is waiting for another operation on her ankle. She said she used to be fit but her injuries have stopped her taking part in activities like walking and gymnastics like she used to.
She said she is “on edge all the time”, is worried about repercussions and has been forced to move away from her friends.
Ferry, 36, of Limekiln Close, Wallsend, who has seven previous convictions, including for assaulting a man, plus a battery in a domestic violence context, pleaded guilty to inflicting GBH and was jailed for 32 months, with a 15-year restraining order.
Ian Cook, defending, said: “The defendant is shocked at the level of injuries and shocked that there are ongoing issues with regard to her injuries. He is remorseful that this has happened.”
Mr Cook added: “He has done his best to live a law-abiding life against a difficult background. His family are well-known in the North East for their involvement in a very serious organised criminal activity.
“It’s to his credit he has spent his life trying to distance himself from offending his brother and father were involved in. He has never wanted any part in the offending his family were involved in and in many ways he has been the black sheep of the family because he has not been involved. He has not been dragged into what has been the family business for a number of years.”
