SERIAL DOMESTIC ABUSER ADMITS SERIOUSLY ASSAULTING NEW PARTNER AND HER CHILD
During a prior hearing at Swindon Magistrates’ Court, 33-year-old Karl Bauld denied charges of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and actual bodily harm (ABH).Today, at Swindon Crown Court, Bauld, who resides on Melstock Road in Taw Hill, pleaded guilty to attacking his partner and her daughter at his residence on 18 March of this year.
Prosecutor Keith Ballinger informed the court during Bauld’s first appearance on 19 March that the defendant’s new partner and her daughter had been staying at his house after meeting on a dating app about three months earlier.
Up until the incident, there had been no issues; their relationship was described as harmonious, and they were considered to be like a family in the two weeks prior to the attack.
A statement from the victim revealed that Bauld smoked cannabis but did so outside his home, without it affecting her directly.
She noted that the night before the assault, he had used a vape that appeared to influence his behavior negatively.
On the morning of the incident, Bauld was found by the victim rummaging through his wardrobe and speaking incoherently.
She initially returned to sleep but later, at around 6:30 am, awoke to see him awake, vaping, and talking.
He sent a message to his employer claiming illness, and she prepared her daughter for school while he stayed in bed.
Shortly before 8 am, she stood at the door with her child when Bauld came down wearing only boxer shorts and questioned her, saying, “What the f**k are you doing?” Initially believing he was joking, she was suddenly assaulted by him.
He grabbed her, pulled her partly upstairs, then violently pushed her to the ground, punching her repeatedly in the face and back of the head, resulting in bleeding and a black eye.
She screamed in pain and initially thought she might have gone blind.
Bauld then assaulted her daughter, lifting her by the hair and smashing heads together.
The victim’s mother was on the floor as he continued hitting her, and she tried to scratch and defend herself.
Once she freed herself and her daughter, they fled to a neighbor’s house for help, calling emergency services.
Bauld also contacted 999.
The injuries to his adult partner included a head laceration needing stitches, a cut lip, and a swollen cheek.
Her daughter suffered a minor injury a sore head from being struck by her mother’s head during the attack without any serious harm.
Bauld, a scaffolder, has four prior convictions for violent offenses, including assaults on previous partners in 2012 and 2017.
He also has a history of breaching restraining and non-molestation orders.
At an earlier hearing, Bauld claimed he believed the pair attempted to steal an Xbox and money from him, and that he was trying to prevent them from leaving.
He denied that his vape or any substance affected his mental state.
Having admitted guilt to GBH and ABH, he is scheduled for sentencing at Swindon Crown Court in early June.
He remains on conditional bail with a curfew, and a pre-sentence report is underway.
His legal team suggested his drug use and a brain injury from 2011 might have contributed to his actions.
