Robert Easom, 56, left teacher, Trudi Burgess, 57, paralysed from the chest down when he threw his weight on her neck until it broke after she tried to end the violent relationship
A manipulative brute who transformed into ‘the Incredible Hulk’ when his teacher partner announced she was leaving and snapped her neck in a fit of rage has been jailed. Trudi Burgess, 57, was left paralysed from the chest down when Robert Easom, 56, erupted into an ‘uncontrollable’ fury after she threatened to end their relationship.
Landscape gardener Easom, branded as being like a ‘monster,’ forced the mother of two face down onto his bed and threw his entire body weight onto her neck until it broke. Her spinal cord was severed.
Easom wasjailed for 20 years after being convicted of Section 18 Assault following a trial where jurors heard shocking evidence from his victim, who recounted her terrifying experience from her hospital bed in intensive care.
She recalled hearing her spine crack and her body slowly going numb straight after. The teacher was left as a tetraplegic and requires 24-hour care.
The former secondary school teacher, who taught French and Spanish, has been informed she will never regain the ability to walk. Her unhinged partner later told officers; ‘I love Trudi more than life itself’.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and had previously admitted engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour between July 2017 and February 2025. Lancashire Police revealed that across eight years, “he subjected the woman he claimed to love to a relentless campaign of coercive and controlling behaviour”.
Officers said the victim documented the abuse she endured at his hands in the notes app on her mobile phone. She detailed horrific examples including being compelled to clear up scattered food, being shoved against furniture, enduring verbal tirades, experiencing terrifying reckless driving, and suffering a headbutt.
Approximately seven months into their relationship, whilst on a visit to York, Easom suddenly “switched” into fury, hauling her around a bathroom and issuing threats, reciting a quote from Rambo: “Don’t push or I’ll give you a war.”
However, when she attempted to end things, he pleaded with her to remain and displayed apparent regret. During another episode in 2019, Easom aggressively snatched her wine, violently slammed a fridge door shut, and bellowed before hauling her upstairs by her head, striking her against every step.
In 2021, once again in York, he covered her head with a sheet and throttled her, leaving her fearing for her survival. The following day, he brushed off the assault, insisting he was “just trying to teach her a lesson”.
Police stated “despite knowing she needed to leave, the victim became trapped in a cycle of abuse” and each time she attempted to depart, Easom would demean her, declaring she was “useless” and couldn’t manage without him.
“Over time, her self-esteem was eroded, leaving her confused and broken down, though she continued to record notes as a way to make sense of what was happening,” they said.
“Everything came to a horrific climax on 17th February 2025, when the victim told Easom she was leaving. His refusal to accept this led to a brutal assault that severed her spinal cord, leaving her paralysed and requiring specialist care ever since.”
DC Bethanie Kirk, from the Burnley Vulnerable Adults Team, said: “Robert Easom is a manipulative and controlling individual with a warped sense of entitlement and repulsive views towards women. He poses a significant risk due to his violent and abusive behaviour. I welcome these convictions, which expose his abhorrent conduct for all to see.
“I want to commend the victim for her incredible bravery in coming forward and trusting Lancashire Police to protect her and bring Easom to justice. His cowardly and sustained abuse has had a profound and lasting impact on her life and her loved ones. I hope she can now begin rebuilding her life, free from his control.
“Finally, if you or anyone you know is in a relationship and something doesn’t feel right, I would encourage you to contact the police and we will take the appropriate action.”
Alison Wolstenholme of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “In a fit of rage, Robert Easom pushed his partner’s head down with such force that he broke her neck – changing her life forever.
“After years of coercive control, where he assaulted her, belittled her, tormented her and deliberately frightened her, he carried out a brutal assault when she tried to end the relationship.
“He attempted to evade responsibility for his actions, telling various lies about how his partner became injured. Later, he accepted causing the injuries which left the woman paralysed from the chest down but claimed that he did not intend to cause serious harm. The evidence did not allow us to consider accepting that.
“The CPS was determined to see Easom face the full consequences of his actions, and we pushed for the case to go to trial. The jury saw through his lies and found him guilty of intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm.
“The incredible strength shown by the victim during this prosecution cannot be overstated. Her support has allowed us to bring the strongest possible case against a dangerous abuser and ensure he faces the full force of the law.”
You can donate to Trudi Burgess and her family here.