Victim daubed attacker’s name in blood

DEFENCE EDITOR

A MOTHER used blood from her injuries to write the name of a former Army soldier who attacked her on a wall.

Emmie Dalto, 29, locked herself in her bedroom after being attacked by her ex-boyfriend Jonathan Hunt, 34.

Ms Dalto managed to spell out “JOHN” before he broke down the door. She escaped and he was arrested the next day.

Hunt was jailed in August last year and now the mother of two from Sheffield has spoken out to raise awareness of domestic abuse.

“Johnny’s brutal attack left me scarred for life and I’ll need corrective surgery on my nose in the future,” she said. “But I’m a survivor and finally rid of him.”

The couple matched on Tinder in January 2020 and went on their first date on Valentine’s Day, before he moved in with her and her two young children.

Ms Dalto, a master’s student, said: “Lockdown took its toll and soon we were arguing all the time.” On one occasion, Ms Dalto “confronted” him after finding messages to other women on social media.

The couple later split up but remained friends and he was invited to a birthday party she threw for a friend in July 2022.

She said: “Johnny was charming and on his best behaviour, but after everyone left and I started clearing up, he squared up to me in the kitchen, demanding to know how much I’d had to drink. His eyes glazed over when I told him I’d only had a few.” She said he then attacked her, repeatedly punching her in the face. “I ducked under his arm and raced upstairs into my bedroom, locking the door behind me. I thought he’d kill me and get away with it.”

As she managed to write “JOHN” on the wall Hunt burst into the room, but she was able to escape down the stairs.

Hunt caught up with her and shoved her face-first into the pavement, causing her to pass out. When she regained consciousness he had vanished.

Hunt’s previous convictions for 28 offences, including those that arose from “domestic context”, were detailed by a judge at Derby Crown Court last year.

He was convicted of actual bodily harm and jailed for two years and 11 months.

Will Bolton

A FORMER police inspector has appeared in court charged with sexual offences against 18 people during strip searches.

Gerard Hutchings, 64, yesterday admitted 17 charges of misconduct in a public office relating to searches at six police stations in Hampshire.

Mr Hutchings, of Ashurst, Hants, appeared before Bristol Crown Court by video link to plead guilty to the charges dating between October 1999 and April 2007.

He denied 12 other charges – one of misconduct in a public office, five of indecent assault, four of causing a male to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity and two of attempting to cause a male to engage in sexual activity.

Charges allege that Mr Hutchings improperly caused the 18 complainants – some aged 17 – to take their clothes off and move their genitals

Number of charges of misconduct in a public office admitted in court yesterday by Gerard Hutchings

“when purporting to conduct a strip search”.

The offences are said to have taken place at police stations in Aldershot, Yateley, Farnborough, Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst and Ringwood when

Hutchings, was serving as an inspector with Hampshire Police.

Judge Peter Blair KC, the Recorder of Bristol, listed a three-week trial for the 12 charges denied by Mr Hutchings, which is due to take place in two weeks’ time.

The judge said a further case management hearing would take place at Bristol Crown Court on Apr 8.

Richard Posner appeared for the prosecution, while Irshad Sheikh represented Mr Hutchings.

Mr Hutchings appeared via video link and spoke to confirm his name, address and date of birth and enter his pleas to the charges against him.

Hampshire Police previously said the complainants were aged between 17 and 31 at the time of the alleged incidents.