A paranoid and delusional drug addict who beat his young lover and left him lying in a pool of his own blood for nearly 24 hours has been sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Christopher Driscoll, 35, was in the dock at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday to hear his fate after pleading guilty to the attack earlier this year.

The court heard details of the horrific attack on Dean Johnson, 21, with a "rock-like ornament", at the flat they shared above DST Chinese Medical Centre in Ewell Road, Tolworth.

Before the attack on June 18 last year, they had been in a relationship for 18 months.

About Christmas 2009, Driscoll started using crystal meth and the relationship deteriorated.

Events came to a head some time between 12am and 3am on June 18, when Driscoll subjected Mr Johnson to a "sustained and horrific attack".

A mutual friend found him lying on the sofa bleeding at around midnight the following day.

He had two broken eye sockets, two broken fingers, bruising to the chest wall, hands and wrists, injuries to the legs and feet and severe spinal pain.

PC Cougar, the first officer to see Mr Johnson in pain and crying out was "taken aback" by the extent of the injuries, the court was told.

Blood was seeping from his eyes, but he initially told police he was beaten after opening the door to strangers, which Driscoll had told him to say.

The true horror of his ordeal was revealed when he started to speak to police in hospital.

Prosecutor Edmund Vickers told the court: "By Christmas 2009, the relationship was one in which the defendant was controlling, abusive and at times violent towards Dean Johnson."

The drug made Driscoll "paranoid and delusional", the court heard.

Driscoll falsely believed Mr Johnson was having an affair with a police officer and that the pair were conspiring against him.

He was convinced they planned to plant drugs in the flat to get him arrested so they could spend time together and believed Mr Johnson’s fictitious lover had drugged him and filmed him being subjected to sexual abuse and rape, the court heard.

He then became fixated on obtaining the DVD that did not exist.

Mr Vickers said: "The complainant Dean Johnson was, in effect forced, to play along with some of these delusions somewhat."

The court heard on one occasion Mr Johnson accompanied Driscoll to the police station to report the abuse because he felt he had to comply with his partner's wishes.

That evening, Driscoll decided to go to Brighton so Mr Johnson walked him to the taxi rank, but when he returned to their flat, Driscoll was already there.

Mr Vickers said Driscoll was insisting on being given the fictional DVD, which he believed showed him being sexually assaulted and started punching his partner screaming: "Where is it?"

At some point, Mr Johnson was said to have fallen to the floor and moved into the foetal position to protect himself.

Driscoll continued to kick him and started hitting Mr Johnson on the back of his head with a fist-sized "rock-like ornament", smashing it against his hands and feet.

Mr Johnson told the court he thought about escaping through a window but was in too much pain.

Driscoll told him to have a shower and wash off the blood and when he came out of the bathroom the assault started again.

The attack continued and Mr Johnson was told he had one more chance to get the DVD.

He suggested it might be in the loft, in an attempt to make Driscoll stop.

They both went to the loft to look for it but Mr Johnson fell down the top flight of stairs because he was so dizzy and said one of the last thing he remembered was falling on the bed and passing out.

Between 2.45am and 3.45am, Mr Johnson came to and he moved himself on to the lounge sofa.

His eyes were so badly injured that he could not see the clock on the wall so was not positive of the time, the court heard.

The next thing Mr Johnson knew, his friend and paramedics were there.

Officers were so concerned by the amount of the blood everywhere that they called an Inspector to conduct a thorough search because they thought there must be other victims in the house.

They found one of Driscoll's palm prints on the blood-stained walls, where he had tried unsuccessfully to make Mr Johnson clear it all up.

Defence lawyer Pina Silvio reminded the court it was not a premeditated attack, that it was his first violent offence, that he was remorseful and that credit should be given for his guilty plea.

Judge C Thornton said the crime was horrific, sustained and wholly unjustified.

Alluding to Mr Johnson's post-traumatic stress disorder, he said: "The longer-term effects of these injuries for the complainant are incalculable and possibly permanent."

He said there was undoubtedly a risk to future partners but was not satisfied that Driscoll was dangerous enough to warrant an indeterminate sentence, and sentenced him to five years.

He had been in custody since his arrest in a Brighton bar on June 24, which was deducted from the sentence.

Speaking after the sentence, Detective Constable Chris Lunt paid tribute to the "massive" forensic investigation which left them with such watertight evidence that Driscoll changed his plea to guilty at the last minute on February 26 this year.

D Con Lunt said: "I’m quite happy with the sentence.

"I think it’s indicative of the robust approach we the Met have, and the courts, regarding domestic violence. Five years is a good sentence for the horrific assault that took place.

"The injuries were particularly nasty and it was quite a shock for the officers.

"Dean was saying in a way he wanted it to go to trial in court, as part of the healing process.

"He wanted to be able to face him and give evidence in front of him and let him know he wasn’t in control any more.

"He’s such a young, little thing, a nice quiet person who wouldn’t say boo to a goose.

"I’m just so happy that it’s now over in a way because this has been ongoing for such a long time that he can now start getting on with his life."

Mr Johnson, whose mother sat beside him in court, did not wish to comment.

D Con Lunt encouraged any victims of domestic violence to come forward by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 1111.

Alternatively visit the One Stop shop, which runs every Monday at the baptist church in Union Street, Kingston, between 9.30am and 12.30pm.

Anyone can drop in for free, without appointment, in total confidence.