‘Monster’ kickboxer who beat girlfriend ‘black and blue’ gets life in jail
A“MONSTER” who subjected his girlfriend to a series of vicious attacks that left her so badly bruised a paramedic could not tell what her race or ethnicity was has been jailed for life.
Kickboxer Dennis Ross, 33, from Newport, beat Sian Davies, strangling her, hitting and punching her and using a cigarette to burn her, over the course of a weekend which ended with her in a coma and unable to tell her story to police for two months, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Ms Davies, 32, who told officers she feels “lucky to be alive”, suffered broken ribs, muscle damage, pneumonia, frostbite and severe swelling to her eyes, lips and throat, so that she was unable to speak or open her eyes, during the assault.
AHIGHLY TRAINED kickboxer tried to kill his girlfriend by punching and strangling her in a “vicious and prolonged” attack weeks after they met.
Dennis Ross, 33, from Newport, left his new partner in a coma after raining down so many blows on her body that a pathologist was unable to count the bruises.
Sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Eleri Rees told the defendant: “I have no hesitation in concluding you are dangerous.”
The court heard the incident occurred at Ross’ flat in Vivian House, Rogerstone, during a weekend in July.
Michael Jones, prosecuting, said 32-year-old Sian Davies had been in a relationship with the defendant for about four weeks.
One neighbour reported hearing doors slamming and “banging” coming from Ross’ flat on Friday, July 7. Another said she heard “thudding noises” on the Saturday and told police that ornaments were shaken off her wall.
The court heard Ross contacted his grandmother, Patricia Ross, at 9.30am the next day and she noticed he was “hyped up”. He asked her to go to his flat and “have a word” with his girlfriend, telling her there had been an argument.
Ross told his grandmother Ms Davies had accused him of breaking her leg and he replied, referring to his previous convictions for domestic violence: “Don’t you know I’m on my last strike?”
Ms Ross said her grandson picked up a carving knife, held it to his throat and said: “I will just as well be dead.”
The court heard she called 999 just before 10.15am on July 9 and whispered to police: “He’s going to kill me.”
Officers arrived and forced entry when the defendant would not let them in. Prosecutors said they found the victim in the foetal position on a bed and Ms Ross in “severe shock”.
A police officer noted Ms Davies had severe bruising to her face, head, neck and body, describing them as: “Perhaps the worst assault injuries I have seen.”
Mr Jones said she had blood matted into her hair and her face was frostbitten where an ice pack had been left on the swelling.
A paramedic was not able to open her mouth as it was so swollen and could not tell her ethnicity as her body was so covered in bruises.
The court heard she was rushed to the Royal Gwent Hospital by ambulance, but was barely conscious and could only make “moaning sounds”.
Pathologist Dr Derek James noted there were ligature marks on her neck and concluded it was not possible to tell how many bruises there were, but they were “best measured in dozens”.
He found the injuries were consistent with a fist, while a sharp-force injury on her belly could have been inflicted with a cord or rope used as a whip.
When he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, Ross said: “It’s ridiculous.” Officers noted he was “agitated and aggressive” and deliberately urinated in the police van.
Mr Jones said the defendant invented an “elaborate lie” and told police the injuries had been inflicted by someone else. He told officers he felt “physically sick” when he saw his girlfriend’s injuries and stated he had received a phone call to say she had been fighting.
Ross said he wanted to take her to hospital, but decided not to as he was worried the hospital staff might think he had caused the injuries. The defendant described Ms Davies as “black and blue” and said she was “traumatised”.
Questioned about the damage in his flat, including broken drawers, Ross said it was temporary accommodation and he had been asking for repairs. A forensic scientist examined his flat and found bloodstains on the carpet, bedding, spattered on the walls and on the sole of one of his trainers.
When he was interviewed again, Ross lay on the bed in his cell and refused to answer any questions.
The court heard Ms Davies was not well enough to be interviewed for two months after the assault and then told police she could not remember much.
She said the incident began with an argument about her phone, which Ross had threatened to throw out of a window.
Ms Davies said: “He grabbed me by the throat and said: ‘This is what strangling is.’”
She recalled they heard police sirens going to another incident and the defendant told her if she called 999 he would kill her and no-one would ever find her. The court heard she tried to escape by throwing herself down a staircase when Ross went to the bathroom, but he chased her and the next thing she remembered was waking up in hospital.
Prosecutors said Ross had a history of domestic violence against previous partners.
The court heard he had 13 previous convictions, including violent disorder, battery and inflicting grievous bodily harm.
In 2009 he kicked and punched an ex-partner, then choked her until she passed out.
Three years later he assaulted a different ex during a camping trip.
The court heard he became angry when they struggled to put up the tent and punched her, breaking her jaw and forcing her teeth into her gums.
He then strangled her, and when police arrived told her to say she had slipped.
Ross was jailed for 60 months for inflicting grievous bodily harm and was still on licence when he committed the new offence.
The defendant, from Golden Mile View in Rogerstone, Newport, admitted attempted murder.
Harry Baker, defending, said his client’s best mitigation was his guilty plea.
Judge Rees noted the victim was vulnerable, as she had previously been the victim of domestic abuse and had lived in a women’s refuge.
She said: “This was a sustained incident of violence – prolonged and repeated on a vulnerable woman.
“Ms Davies was literally, using your own description, battered black and blue.”
The judge observed Ross was a highly trained kickboxer and found the use of his fists and feet was equivalent to the use of a weapon.
Ms Davies suffered “life-threatening” injuries, and in a psychiatric report Ross was found to present a very high risk of harm in the context of intimate relationships.
He was jailed for life with a minimum term of seven years and 140 days.
DC Elaine Newbury, the officer in the case, said: “I hope this sends the message that domestic violence will not be tolerated. We take offences of this nature extremely seriously.”