DANIEL LACEY HAS BEEN JAILED FOR NEARLY FOUR YEARS
A MAN who “terrorised” an ex-girlfriend, threatened to “burn the death out of her”, and possibly fractured one of her ribs in a violent assault has been jailed for nearly four years.A judge at Bradford Crown Court told Daniel Lacey: “You have a tendency to use violence against women.
That demonstrates to me that you pose a danger to any female who has the misfortune to be in a relationship with you.” Lacey, 32, of Otley Road, Bradford, has also been made the subject of an indefinite restraining order banning him from any contact with the victim.
The court heard that Lacey and the victim were together for almost a year, but that the relationship “turned sour” very quickly as a result of his controlling and violent behaviour.
The woman ended the relationship and obtained a non-molestation order against Lacey, which he breached three times.
On one occasion, he banged on the woman’s door and demanded to be let in.
When she refused, he began tearing out her garden fence and throwing it at her car, which was damaged.
He also threatened her, saying he would “burn the death out of her”.
On May 16 last year, he went to the woman’s home where he pushed her against a window, strangled her, slammed her hard to the floor, and punched her to the ribs.
Lacey left when the woman’s son returned home.
After struggling to sleep and suffering pain from deep breaths and when she coughed, the woman later drove herself to the hospital where an x-ray revealed blood around her left lung, air in the ribcage, and a possible fracture to the left side of the ribcage.
In a victim statement read to the court, the woman said she had suffered from nightmares, had been on anti-depressants, and described her experience as “the lowest point of my life”.
She said she had been left physically and mentally drained by what had happened to her, had “lost myself completely”, and feared repercussions.
Lacey later pleaded guilty to three breaches of a non-molestation order and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The court heard that he had 42 previous convictions for 17 offences, including violence against women.
Mitigating, Nick Cartmell said Lacey, who appeared via video link from HMP Leeds, had shown “complete contrition and regret” and wished to apologise to the victim.
He said Lacey had been largely homeless at the time and was addicted to drugs, that he had a temper problem, and was “upset” when the incident took place.
He described “real shame” on Lacey’s part for his behaviour.
Sentencing Lacey to a total of 45 months imprisonment, Recorder Kelly said: “You have terrorised [your victim] with controlling and violent behaviour.
You have, it is clear, a serious issue with jealousy, anger, and violence when it comes to women.” In outlining her attack upon the victim, she added: “Such was the cowardly way in which you treated her.” She said Lacey presented a high risk of re-offending and was a high risk of harm to the public.
