Thug ‘stomped’ on his ex-partner
A THUG punched and “stomped” on his ex-partner when he returned home drunk from the pub with their young toddler.
Lee Edwards, 30, of Porth, near Pontypridd, brutally assaulted his former partner in the home they shared on May 29 when she tried to take their child off of him due to his state of intoxication.
He proceeded to beat her, strangle her and spit at her during the sustained attack which left her with bruising and swelling. The defendant also put his hands in the victim’s mouth and pulled her jaw apart making her feel like he was attempting to “rip her mouth in two”.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court yesterday heard Edwards and his victim had been in a relationship for three years but had split up, with his former partner starting a new relationship.
But at around 7pm on May 29 the victim returned to her home she continued to share with Edwards and realised he had taken their child to the pub. She messaged him telling him to return the child and to leave their home.
Prosecutor Nik Strobl said Edwards returned at 10.40pm and began shouting at his victim.
He added: “She tried to get her son off him and he slapped her to the right side of her face with an open hand before punching her to the face with a clenched fist.
“She tried to fight back to get away but the defendant put their son on the living room floor, grabbed her by the head, and pushed her to the floor.
“While she lay on the floor the defendant punched her 10 times to the side of the face while keeping her pinned to the floor by using his knee placed in her back, preventing her from getting up. He got up and stomped on her head 20 times with full force while still wearing his shoes.
“He punched her to the right shoulder before putting both his hands around her neck and squeezing with full force until the victim couldn’t breathe. He put both hands in her mouth and pulled her mouth apart. She thought he was trying to rip her mouth in two. When he finally stopped he got up and spat at her in the face.”
Edwards then left the property with their child and his victim called the police who arrived shortly afterwards and arrested the defendant when he returned.
She suffered injuries to her face, eye socket, and mouth as well as bruising, swelling, and cuts.
In a victim personal statement read out to the court she said: “This has affected my daily life to a great extent. I feel unsafe and have installed CCTV cameras in my property. The incident made me feel scared, upset, and angry. I honestly thought [he] was going to kill me that night.”
The court also heard she had since moved house so the defendant would no longer know where she lived.
Edwards, of Llandaff Way, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Mr Strobl said the defendant’s convictions included domestic assaults on previous partners, the last of which took place in 2011.
In mitigation Stephen Thomas said his client was an industrious young man who worked a number of jobs and was concerned about the impact on the mother of his other children if he was sent to prison. He also told the court the defendant’s issues stemmed from alcohol.
Sentencing, Judge Huw Rees said: “This was a vicious assault, including repeated punching to the victim’s face, stomping on her, trying to strangle her, putting your hands into her mouth, and spitting on her.
“It’s unbelievable such a combination can be inflicted by a man on a woman.”
Edwards was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out an alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement for 120 days, complete unpaid work for 180 hours, and complete 31 days of the Building Better relationships programme and a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
He was also made subject to a restraining order for five years.