SHEFFIELD MAN DARREN KELLY JAILED FOR BREAK-IN AND ASSAULT
A Sheffield man terrorized his ex-girlfriend by breaking into her house through a skylight and assaulting her on the street.Darren Kelly, of Sheffield, who first met the woman 16 years ago and rekindled their relationship in December 2020, was involved in a violent incident following their breakup five months later when he became aggressive.
The woman, of Salford, reported that Kelly was angry about her not responding to his messages and threatened to ruin her life, mentioning her insecure skylight.
That night, Kelly entered her house by damaging the skylight, leaving disturbed items and her skylight removed.
When she returned home at 4 am, Kelly appeared behind her and pushed her face to the ground, then forcefully pushed her again, causing her to struggle to breathe.
The incident was interrupted when police sirens arrived.
Kelly, now residing on Staniforth Road, Sheffield, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to 27 months for burglary and common assault.
The court noted that Kelly was intoxicated, drinking brandy, and was 'angry and possessive,' accusing the woman of infidelity.
Police found a bank card belonging to his ex, along with damaged household items and tools like a hammer and screwdrivers, which indicated entry through the skylight.
The court was told the woman believed Kelly intended to kill her and that he had abused her care, leaving her with a swollen lip, head lumps, and jaw pain.
His lawyer admitted his actions were 'wholly wrong' and attributed them to alcohol consumption.
Kelly showed some remorse and enrolled in an alcohol course in prison.
He has 30 previous convictions from 77 offences and was sentenced to serve 27 months concurrently with a four-month sentence for assault, plus a restraining order was issued against him.
