‘BITE’ THREAT TO EX-GIRLFRIEND
ATTACKER SAID HE WOULD ‘DISFIGURE’ WOMAN –
A THUG threatened to disfigure his former partner by biting her nose during a vicious attack so “no-one would want her”.
Gareth Jex, 35, assaulted his ex-girlfriend at her home near Aberdare on May 23 in a jealous rage after he discovered she had a new boyfriend.
He attended a party at the victim’s house but when everyone left he became violent and started strangling her, punching her, and hitting her with a stick.
The defendant also put his former partner in a headlock and dragged her back into the house by her hair after she tried to escape, telling her: “I really want to hurt you and punch your face in.”
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court last week heard Jex only stopped when the police turned up and he begged his victim not to open the door to them or to tell them about the assault.
Prosecutor William Bebb said the pair had been in a relationship for six years but had split up in 2019.
Jex turned up at a house party at his ex’s home shortly before midnight but didn’t begin to assault his victim until all of the other guests had left.
Mr Bebb said: “She recollected being strangled four times by the defendant and he used such force. She was trying to breathe but he covered her mouth with his hand. He punched her to the lip, causing swelling and a cut.
“She recollected trying to get away by running but he dragged her through the door by pulling her hair.
“He threw a butter knife at her, which caused a cut, and the defendant picked up a stick and hit her to the lower back. She also remembered being put in a headlock.”
When he pushed his victim on the stairs, Jex tried to bite her nose and said: “I’m going to disfigure you and no-one will want you then.”
The victim ran upstairs and called the police, telling them she was scared the defendant was “going to kill her”.
Jex, of Tre Ifor, Llwydcoed, near Aberdare, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to assault by beating and criminal damage in relation to the victim’s phone and vase, which he had smashed.
The court was also told the defendant had been made subject to a suspended sentence for assaulting a Tesco security guard in Pontypridd on January 14 and of stealing a bank card belonging to victim Russell Knight on the same day, which he used to purchase £55 worth of goods.
He also received a suspended sentence for an incident at a convenience store on February 28, 2019, when he stole a can of Coke and racially abused staff members when they tried to stop him.
In mitigation, Julia Cox admitted her client had a history of appearing before the courts, which she put down to alcohol and drug abuse since he was a young man. She said Jex had suffered trauma after he woke up next to another partner to find she had died during the night, which Ms Cox said caused a “form of breakdown”.
The barrister added: “Emotions got the better of him when he sought the support of his ex-partner, which he bitterly regrets.”
Judge Richard Williams sentenced Jex to a total of 56 weeks’ imprisonment, which included the activation of the suspended sentences.