THUG JAILED AFTER VIOLENT DOMESTIC ABUSE CASE
Warning: This article contains details that may be upsetting to some readers.A violent man attempted to throw his pregnant partner out of a first-floor window after he discarded her father’s ashes.
Ashley Brazier, from Whitstable, subjected his frightened girlfriend to violent assaults including stripping her of her clothes in what were described as “signature attacks,” spitting in her face, and causing a punctured lung with an uppercut.
The 31-year-old’s rage was triggered twice following his suspicion after examining her phone shortly after her father’s death, a court was told.
While drinking at a friend’s residence in Ramsgate in June, Brazier checked her phone and grew suspicious of a message he saw.
In an act of humiliation before a seven-month-old baby, he called her derogatory names, slapped her, yanked clumps of her hair, spat at her, and tore her clothes.
Two months later, at their home in Whitstable, he again checked her phone and saw that a man had “liked” a picture on Facebook.
Prosecutor Amy Nicholson explained that he then struck her face with her phone after accusing her of infidelity.
Brazier, described as well-built, picked up his girlfriend - who weighed just 7st 2lbs , and attempted to hurl her out of the first-floor window.
She managed to stretch her body to avoid being pushed out, according to court reports.
His fury escalated further as he gripped her by the throat, pinning her to the wall with her feet lifted from the ground.
During the struggle, he spat repeatedly and slapped her with such force that it caused ringing in her ears.
The defendant then intensified his assault, delivering an uppercut which dislocated a rib and punctured her lung.
He stripped her of her clothes and locked her out of the room.
Brazier ceased his attack once he realised the extent of the injuries inflicted.
Medical staff at QEQM Hospital later had to inflate her lung twice and insert a drainage tube.
Unbeknownst to him, she was in the early stages of pregnancy at the time.
Miss Nicholson stated that the victim described Brazier as “spiteful and cruel,” recalling an incident where he “threw away her father’s ashes.” The woman experienced ongoing pain and breathing problems for three months post-assault, along with increased symptoms of anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, and flashbacks, the court heard.
She is reported to have said that the incident “ruined her life.” Brazier has a criminal history with 41 previous convictions, including two for harassment, six for battery, ten for criminal damage, and multiple breaches of court orders.
During mitigation, solicitor Phil Rowley explained Brazier’s background, noting he grew up in a violent household on a crime-ridden Birmingham council estate.
He added that Brazier had been employed, struggled with alcohol addiction, and showed remorse by pleading guilty rather than going to trial.
He stated that upon release, Brazier planned to live with his mother in Milton Keynes.
Judge Rupert Lowe condemned Brazier’s pattern of violence and humiliation toward his partner, including his “signature attacks” of stripping her.
The judge emphasized that Brazier posed a “substantial risk to the public,” but due to judicial limits, he was unable to impose an extended sentence.
Such a sentence would only be possible if the total term exceeded four years.
Brazier was sentenced to three years and nine months for causing actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.
He appeared in court with a black eye, occasionally shaking his head in protest as the facts were presented.
During the hearing, he expressed regret, claiming his violence was “out of stupidity.” Following the sentencing, he dismissed the victim’s account as “exaggerated” and showed visible anger as he was led away to the cells.
A restraining order prohibits Brazier from entering Gosselin Street in Whitstable or Arlington House in Margate, and he is barred from “being present” at any address where his victim resides.
