A Preston man is facing trial after allegedly leaving his teacher lover paralysed from the chest down in a violent attack, a court has heard.
Robert Easom, 56, is accused of deliberately breaking the neck of Trudi Burgess, 56, when she tried to end their relationship.
Victim Left Tetraplegic Following Alleged Attack
Ms Burgess, a mother of two, is now a tetraplegic and requires 24-hour care.
Prosecutors described the assault as “vicious,” saying Easom pinned her face down on a bed and used his full body weight on her neck, causing catastrophic injuries.
Sarah Magill, prosecuting, told the jury that Ms Burgess had been emotionally vulnerable, grieving her husband’s death from a brain tumour, when she met Easom, who had been employed as her sister’s gardener.
History of Abuse Emerged During Relationship
The court heard that the relationship began as loving and passionate but later turned abusive.
Easom has pleaded guilty to prior assaults, including wrapping Ms Burgess’ head in a bedsheet in 2021 until she struggled to breathe, and head-butting her in their car after a minor argument about dinner preparations.
However, he denies deliberately breaking her neck, and the jury must decide whether he intended to cause really serious harm.
Tensions Escalated Before Alleged Neck-Breaking Incident
On February 17 this year, Ms Burgess told Easom she was leaving.
She had stayed overnight at his home in Chipping, near Chorley, Lancashire, and was drinking tea in bed when she informed him she would not be cooking dinner and was returning to her own home.
The court heard Easom reacted with “sheer blind rage,” shouting and pacing the room.
Ms Burgess, terrified, tried to placate him, pleading, “Rob I will stay, I will stay Rob, don’t hurt me.”
The Alleged Assault and Immediate Aftermath
Magill described how Easom allegedly forced Ms Burgess down on the bed and pushed his body weight onto her neck.
She screamed and tried to warn him she was being hurt, but he continued until she heard a crack and lost feeling in her body.
Eventually, Easom called 999, claiming she had fallen from the bed while “mollycoddling.”
CT scans later confirmed a broken neck and permanent paralysis.
Medical Evidence Contradicts Defendant’s Claims
An expert orthopaedic surgeon will testify that such an injury could only result from a significant fall—between 15 to 20 feet—not from the height of a bed.
Ms Burgess herself described constant pain and the inability to perform everyday tasks independently, though cognitively she remains fully intact.
Lies to Family and Police
Following the assault, Easom called Ms Burgess’ sister, claiming the incident was merely “a bit of bloody fun” gone wrong.
He also told police in a prepared statement that he would never intentionally hurt her, saying, “I love Trudi more than life itself.”
Trial Continues
The jury will now consider whether Easom’s actions were deliberate, and whether he intended to cause Ms Burgess serious harm. The trial is ongoing.
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