THUG JAILED FOR ‘NASTY’ ASSAULT ON EX-GIRLFRIEND
Andrew Hale, aged 35, carried out a violent attack on a woman at her residence in Tredegar after she informed him that their relationship was over.Prosecutor Mari Watkins described at Cardiff Crown Court how Hale kicked the woman in the ribs multiple times and also struck her in the face.
She added that Hale fled the scene upon hearing police sirens outside her house, and he was apprehended shortly thereafter.
Hale had denied causing actual bodily harm (ABH), but a jury found him guilty following a trial.
The incident occurred on Thursday, May 29, 2025, and it resulted in Hale breaching a previously suspended sentence for dangerous driving.
He was acquitted of charges of intentional strangulation, assault by beating, threatening to destroy the woman’s house, and damaging her television.
While in custody at HMP Cardiff before his trial, prison officers discovered a Zanco mobile phone and charger hidden between his buttocks.
Hale claimed that the device had been brought in by a drone but refused to provide further details.
A resident of Hendre, Newtown, Ebbw Vale, Hale pleaded guilty to possessing a specified item without authority within the prison on August 3 the previous year.
His former partner, in her victim impact statement, described suffering emotional, physical, and mental abuse at Hale’s hands.
She has relocated away from Tredegar, expressing fear that Hale might know her new address.
She voiced her concerns about never living in peace again and said the attack had caused her fear for the future, noting that Hale targeted her due to her vulnerability after losing her husband.
Prosecutor Watkins highlighted Hale’s lengthy criminal record, which includes 46 convictions for 102 offences, such as violence, possession of weapons, and dishonesty.
Tabitha Walker for the defendant stated that Hale was genuinely remorseful and regretted his actions.
She also acknowledged that possessing the mobile phone in prison was a foolish decision and expressed his intent to remain substance-free after release.
Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant condemned Hale as a violent individual, describing the assault as particularly vicious, especially given the domestic setting.
He sentenced Hale to two years and four months for ABH, with an additional six months for the phone offence to be served consecutively.
Hale was also issued a five-year restraining order preventing contact with his former partner and ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge.
