The defendant also strangled his partner and took money from her bank account to buy cannabis
A teenage father assaulted his six-week-old son by grabbing him by the head before picking up his partner by her neck and strangling her. He went on to transfer £70 from his partner’s account into his own in order to buy cannabis.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday, May 28, heard the mother of the child filmed the defendant assaulting their baby son while grabbing hold of his head with force as he was attempting to feed him with a bottle. The assault caused the baby to cry out in distress.
A couple of days later the defendant’s partner went to his address where they began arguing and he threw a massage gun at her. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter
She responded by throwing it back in his direction and he told her “You’re f****** dead”. She ran downstairs and attempted to leave but he stopped her and picked her up with both hands around her neck.
He pushed his partner against the front door and banged her head against the door. The defendant was stopped by his mother who pulled him away from the victim. He then shouted at his partner “Get out of my f****** room, get out of my f****** house before I do something I regret.”
Prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins said the victim was left “shocked” and felt her head aching the next day. Towards the end of the relationship the defendant was using cannabis but could not afford his habit.
He accessed his partner’s banking app and used it to transfer £70 to his own account, without her permission, in order to buy cannabis.
The victim contacted the police and the defendant was arrested. He made a significant comment, saying: “I feel like s*** for what I have done.”
The defendant made full admissions to his violent behaviour in his police interview, admitting he rarely spent time alone with his son and feared he could be a danger to his son.
He later pleaded guilty to assaulting/ill-treating/neglecting/abandoning a child/young person to cause unnecessary suffering/injury, fraud by false representation, intentional strangulation, and assault by beating.
The court heard the defendant has no previous convictions.
In mitigation, Jac Brown said his client was “disgusted” by his behaviour and began using cannabis in order to “mellow” himself, but it had the opposite effect.
Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said there was a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation” in the defendant’s case. The defendant was sentenced to 16 months detention in a young offenders’ institution, suspended for two years.
He was ordered to complete 180 hours unpaid work, an accredited programme, and a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement. He must also pay £1,000 costs and £70 in compensation.
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