BRADFORD MAN WHO ASSAULTED PARTNER DESPITE COURT RESTRAINING ORDER WALKS FREE
A single mother who witnessed her former partner being acquitted despite him strangling her, poking her eyeball, and punching her head, firmly believes he will commit more acts of abuse.Antonio Del Core pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an attack on the mother of his two-year-old daughter in Bradford last April.
The 27-year-old, who is employed as a chef, assaulted her during a fit of rage - poking her in the eye, punching, kicking, and strangling her on their bed in front of their frightened toddler, as reported in Bradford Crown Court.
He has since relocated to Morecambe, where he was issued a two-year restraining order prohibiting contact with his ex.
Despite the sentence, she feels the justice system has failed her and expects him to harm more women, having been warned of his aggressive tendencies while pregnant with their child.
She recounted how another ex-girlfriend had contacted her, claiming Del Core had threatened her, although she did not believe it at the time.
She also described how she ignored red flags like bruising and physical abuse, such as a broken finger, which she initially concealed to doctors to maintain her relationship.
She expressed heartbreak and frustration, saying, "I’m absolutely devastated.
Nobody gave us a lifeline.
I can’t go to the supermarket, I can’t live a normal life.
I’ve got a traumatised baby." She added that he had since moved in with another woman in Morecambe and fears her daughter’s safety.
"It takes a next-level type of evil to see a baby not breathing properly and crying and still assault her mum," she said.
The victim also expressed disappointment with the legal outcome, noting that she requested an indefinite restraining order, but received only a two-year ban.
"I feel like the justice system has failed us a little bit.
I felt like he should have been remanded in custody at the point of his arrest.
I felt angry and let down.
It took nine months to charge him," she stated.
She believes her former partner is manipulative and capable of biding his time to reoffend, highlighting his apparent charm and ability to 'bide his time' before reinitiating contact.
This case illustrates ongoing concerns about domestic violence and the perceived inadequacies of legal protections for survivors, with the victim feeling abandoned by the system and fearing further harm from her ex.
