Man, 34, jailed for punching girlfriend
A MAN told his girlfriend “I hope you f ****** die” and punched her in the face after he refused to give her back her phone charger.
Daniel Ryan, 34, of Cardiff, attacked his then-partner Rebecca Sheehan twice in one day after an argument.
The couple, who had become an item in December 2018, described their relationship as “turbulent” but matters came to ahead on June 22.
In a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday prosecutor Gareth James said Ryan and Ms Sheehan were in bed when an argument broke out.
He said the defendant became “wound up” and started grabbing at pillows and bedding before gouging Ms Sheehan in her eyes and scramming her face.
Ryan then dragged her out of bed by her hair and when she was on the floor he pushed down on her with his foot, saying: “Why are you on the floor?”
Ms Sheehan got back into bed but Ryan continued screaming at her, then pulled down the curtains and started swinging the curtain pole round.
Later that day Ms Sheehan drove to Ryan’s father’s address to collect a charger she had loaned to the defendant.
When she asked Ryan, who was at the address, for the charger he refused and told her: “I hope you f ****** die.”
Ms Sheehan went to the kitchen and was followed by the defendant and as she tried to remove the charger from the wall he grabbed her by her hair and punched her to the face, causing it to swell and bruise.
Ryan’s father stood between them and said to his son: “Haven’t you learnt from what happened to your last girlfriend?”
The victim left and reported the matter to police.
Ryan initially denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty in respect of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
The court heard Ryan had previously been convicted of battery in 2017 for an assault on a former partner for which he received a suspended prison sentence.
Defence barrister Kevin Seal said his client accepted the relationship between him and Ms Sheehan, which he described as “toxic on both sides”, was over and had no excuses for what happened.
Sentencing him, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Eleri Rees said: “The aggravating features here are this complainant was in her bed when she was first assaulted and subjected to gouging and scramming and when she later asked for her charger to be returned there was a verbal exchange resulted in you refusing to let her take the charger from the kitchen and punched her to the side of the face.”
Ryan, of Burt Street, Butetown, was sentenced to 40 weeks’ imprisonment and made subject to a restraining order for five years.
■ If you, or someone you know, is affected by domestic violence, visit the Live Fear Free website or call the helpline on 0808 80 10 800.