BRADFORD MAN AVOIDS JAIL AFTER VIOLENT ASSAULT ON GIRLFRIEND
Callum Walker, aged 20, who dragged his girlfriend onto their bed and assaulted her amid a disagreement over assembling a TV cabinet, has narrowly avoided a jail term.He had previously been handed a suspended sentence for assaulting the same victim but became violent again on December 14 of last year.
Bradford Crown Court was told that Walker was working on building the cabinet when his girlfriend offered to help, leading to an argument.
Prosecutor Marte Alnaes outlined that the couple's relationship had been unstable over the past couple of years, characterized by ongoing violence and fear.
On the day of the incident, they were at home working on the furniture when she volunteered to assist by reading the instructions while seated on a gaming chair.
The disagreement quickly escalated, with her telling Walker he was 'wrong.' His response was to ask, 'What did you just say to me?', then push her and become physically aggressive.
Ms.
Alnaes revealed that Walker lifted her onto his shoulders and threw her onto the bed, then punched her on the left side of her head, causing bruising on her knee.
She yelled out, and Walker approached her from behind, wrapping his left hand around her throat and placing his right hand over her mouth, which caused her to fear she was unable to breathe and to panic.
He eventually let go, then grabbed a screwdriver and jabbed her, warning, 'If you think I won't do it because I actually will.' She believed he was about to stab her in the thigh, though she sustained no injuries.
The assault lasted approximately half an hour, during which Walker threatened to set fire to and discredit her family if she reported him.
He was later arrested and initially claimed he acted in self-defense, then alleged she caused her own injuries.
Walker pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.
His record includes prior offences such as possessing a bladed article and assaulting the same woman, for which he was given a suspended sentence in 2023, but he breached that sentence through this latest offence.
Described as 'emotionally very immature,' he received an 18-month sentence suspended for two years, along with an order to complete 24 days of rehabilitative activities.
