MAN PUNCHED, KICKED AND STRANGLED EX-PARTNER
A man was described as exhibiting aggressive behavior similar to a Rottweiler when he violently attacked his former partner, who had intervened to help save his life, a court heard.Ashley Bryan experienced a drug-induced seizure, and his ex-partner placed him in the recovery position to prevent him from choking.
In response, Bryan punched her, then dragged her outside by her hair before kicking and choking her.
Bryan's lawyer told Swansea Crown Court that his client had started using cannabis at age 13 and heroin by 15, eventually developing an addiction that lasted for about ten years before shifting to cocaine.
He stated that Bryan does not remember the assault due to his state under the influence of drugs.
Prosecutor Regan Walters explained that the victim was a former partner of Bryan.
Despite their breakup, they remained in contact.
On August 13 last year, Bryan suffered a seizure related to drug use while they were together, prompting his ex to put him in the recovery position.
The court heard that Bryan then became aggressive, getting up and swinging punches one of which hit the woman’s jaw.
He grabbed her hair and dragged her outside into the garden, where he kicked her in the ribs and head.
He also tore her top and wrapped it around her neck.
The woman was able to escape and seek shelter at a nearby taxi office until Bryan left.
Later, police found clumps of her hair outside the flat.
The woman told her domestic violence advisor about the incident the following day, leading police to search for Bryan.
He was spotted on August 16 in Llanelli town center, attempting to evade arrest by hiding behind a post and then entering a Job Centre.
During police interviews, Bryan denied causing injury, providing a prepared statement, and then answered 'no comment' to further questions.
In an impact statement read aloud in court, the victim said she only tried to save Bryan’s life, and in return, he responded with a "vicious" attack.
She described him as being like a "Rottweiler" and expressed her inability to forgive him.
She also shared that the assault had profoundly affected her mental health, causing post-traumatic stress disorder and increasing her stress levels.
Ashley Bryan, of Station Road, Llanelli, previously pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm at his sentencing hearing.
He has a record with 47 previous convictions for 78 offenses, including thefts, burglaries, drug possession, and assaulting emergency workers.
At the time of the attack, he was on licence following an earlier assault on an emergency worker.
His lawyer, Richard Ace, stated Bryan has no memory of the incident due to his drug-related state, highlighting his long history of substance abuse beginning with cannabis at 13, heroin at 15, and later cocaine.
Ace said Bryan is committed to building a "fulfilling future." Judge Paul Thomas KC remarked that drugs and mental health issues had heavily influenced Bryan’s life, potentially interconnected with his substance abuse problems.
He noted that Bryan had tried to help after his seizure but had responded with violence, including strangulation.
The judge emphasised that the offence was too serious for anything but immediate imprisonment.
Taking into account his guilty plea with a 10% reduction, Bryan was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with up to half served in custody before release on licence to serve the remaining period in the community.
A three-year restraining order was also issued, prohibiting Bryan from contacting his ex-partner.
