Man attacked his former girlfriend with a meat cleaver
A VIOLENT man attacked his ex-girlfriend with a meat cleaver and punched her twice to the head when she began a new relationship.
He had carried out a number of assaults against his ex-partner, who on one occasion slept in a toilet cubicle after becoming too scared to go back to their room.
Daniel Kiddier, 38, of Porthcawl, had been in a relationship with the victim for two and a half years during which he was violent. There were multiple incidents where he strangled the victim or pushed her to the floor, causing various cuts, bruises and swelling.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard the victim moved on following the end of their relationship, which the defendant was unwilling to accept.
He turned up unannounced at her home at around 2.30am on July 26 last year, while her new partner was there, and banged on the front door and shouted. He then barged his way in and searched the house.
Prosecutor Nik Strobl said Kiddier punched the victim twice to the head, then made his way downstairs and armed himself with a meat cleaver from a kitchen drawer.
He went up to the victim’s bedroom and approached her as she attempted to call the police. The defendant struck the victim to the head with the blunt side of the cleaver.
He repeated his actions as he believed he had “not caused sufficient damage”, his victim said.
She also said she was in fear for her life. As a result of the assault the victim suffered impaired vision, dizziness and swelling to the left side of her head.
In his sentencing remarks to the court. Judge Carl Harrison referred to previous incidents during Kiddier’s and the victim’s relationship when he acted violently.
Upon attending a boxing match in Nottingham, the couple had argued at the Crowne Plaza hotel when the defendant placed his hands around her neck, which left her struggling to breathe.
On another occasion he threw her around the hotel room and she slept in a toilet cubicle for fear of going back to their hotel room.
The victim received a split lip when Kiddier hit her in the face at a friend’s wedding.
During an argument at her home he kicked her hard and injured her ribs, which left the victim with breathing difficulties. He also assaulted her during a holiday to Tenerife when he pushed her to the floor and caused bruises under her arms.
Kiddier also punched the victim in a car while driving and put his hands around her throat when she turned up at his flat, believing he was there with somebody else.
Kiddier, of New Road, was found guilty of engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a trial.
The court heard he has four previous convictions including an assault against a female partner in 2017.
In a victim personal statement the victim said her anxiety had increased and she still doesn’t feel safe and has sleepless nights due to constant stress.
She added: “I feel like I can’t enjoy myself when I am out.
“I have a constant feeling of anxiety whenever I think about him and what he put me through.
“I am struggling to get on with my life. It’s getting better with time but it’s something that will always stay with me. Physically I am doing a lot better but I still get pain in my ribs from time to time. I have scars at the back of my head from all the times he pushed me into things and my hair extensions cut into me.
“To this day I still feel Daniel could be holding on to the fact I have been trying to move on. It feels like he still wants to be in control and now he hasn’t it makes him more volatile.
“I feel horrible that Daniel could do what he has done to me to another woman and I hope it never happens.
“It’s like he makes me feel guilty for his actions that haven’t happened yet.
“He’s not only damaged me physically but mentally as well and that will take a long time to recover from.
“All I ever wanted was someone to believe me and that was enough. I feel like I can live my life again.”
In mitigation, Peter Donnison said his client suffered with mental health issues due to trauma he experienced after his friend died while they were both in Bulgaria.
The barrister said the defendant’s time in custody had been spent productively and he is an enhanced prisoner teaching other inmates construction skills.
Sentencing Kiddier, who was visibly shaking on the videolink, Judge Harrison said: “You made [the victim] feel worthless, nothing was good enough, and you were nasty towards her... [The victim] said she thought you were going to kill her.”
Kiddier was sentenced to a total of five years and three months’ imprisonment. He will serve half the sentence in custody before he is released to serve the remainder on licence.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse visit the Live Fear Free website at https:// www.gov.wales/live-fear-free or call the helpline on 0808 80 10 800. In an emergency call 999.