Man strangled and punched his partner repeatedly after fight
A MAN strangled his partner, punched her repeatedly, and caused £700 worth of damage to her home after she told him to calm down when he had become angry following a fight in a pub.
Kevin Jones, 36, was intoxicated on the evening of November 10 last year when he began confronting people in the Mount pub in Ammanford, a sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court heard.
Georgia Donohue, prosecuting, told the court how as the then couple were leaving the pub Jones’ partner got into the taxi but then realised Jones was involved in an altercation with other revellers at around 10.30pm. It wasn’t the first confrontation Jones had got himself into that evening and he had become “angry and irate”.
Ms Donohue explained how Jones’ partner had told him to calm down but when he got into the house he continued his “agitated state”. In a sweary rant he told her he would “smash her face in”.
He went on to wreck multiple items in the house before “grabbing her by the throat, holding her to the ground, and then punching her to the face multiple times”. She received injuries to her right eye, to the side of her head, and her face was so swollen she couldn’t close her mouth, Ms Donohue said.
The woman managed to escape to her friend’s house who then called the police. On arriving at the property in Brynamman officers from Dyfed-powys Police found Jones lying in bed upstairs.
It was clear he had caused significant damage inside the property including to the coffee table, television, cabinet, microwave, fryer, kettle, and tumble dryer. He had also caused damage to a window of a car.
He immediately admitted causing damage to the property but in a prepared statement the following day he told police he had not assaulted his partner and had pushed her once after she “hit him”.
A month before a trial was due to take place the court heard the defendant “came to his senses” and pleaded guilty to charges of strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He had earlier admitted breaching a restraining order and criminal damage. The court heard how Jones had actually been under the auspices of a restraining order prohibiting him from approaching the woman after he was sentenced for three charges of criminal damage and one charge of battery against her last August.
But by the time of the new offences the woman had invited him back into her life voluntarily.
There was no application for a new restraining order but in a victim impact statement read out in court the victim said she would like the restraining order already in place to continue.
Ms Donohue added that the defendant had nine previous convictions for 16 offences including for criminal damage in 2010, battery in 2017, criminal damage in 2021, and three counts of criminal damage and one charge for battery in 2022.
Mark Davies, for Jones, said his client “describes himself as single and I think we can take it as read that he appreciates the relationship is now over”. Mr Davies told the court Jones had an impressive employment history with no lengthy periods spent unemployed.
“His mother passed away when he was at an early age and he has been largely brought up by his father who passed away partly due to a problem with alcoholism,” Mr Davies continued, adding that Jones has “for a large proportion of his adult life consumed large quantities of alcohol.
“He says he has suffered with his mental health but I am unable to confirm what he means by that because he has never been diagnosed.”
Awarding 25% credit for late guilty pleas Recorder Christian Jowett sentenced Jones, of Brynbrain, Cefnbrynbrain, Cwmllynfell, to 22 months immediate custody. He must also pay £700 in compensation within three months of his release.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse visit the Live Fear Free website or call the helpline on 0808 80 10 800.