CWMBRAN MAN THREATENED PREGNANT EX-GIRLFRIEND WITH HAMMER
A man threatened his pregnant ex-girlfriend with a hammer before using it to smash his way into the home where she was staying.Lee Athay, 30, broke the glass of the front door of the property in Cwmbran where her cousin and his partner lived.
Charles Archer, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “The defendant’s partner was 12 weeks pregnant with his unborn child.
At 7.58am on the morning of Friday, September 26 last year, she received a phone call from him.
“The defendant said, ‘I know where you f****** are.
I’ve got a hammer and I’m coming for you.’” He turned up shortly after.
When he got into the address, he dropped the hammer before knocking the woman’s relative unconscious after punching him in the face and kicking him in the chin.
The woman’s cousin’s girlfriend waved a knife she had armed herself with before Athay picked up the hammer and left.
He then sent a threatening message to his sister.
The defendant, of The Tower, Tudor Road, Southville, Cwmbran pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in public, assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), criminal damage and sending a communication threatening serious harm.
He has 32 previous convictions for 60 offences including attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, ABH and battery.
Kirsten Murphy for Athay said: “Sadly, his former partner miscarried at eight months.
“The defendant has been struggling with grief in custody and was unable to attend the funeral.” Athay suffers from schizophrenia, the court was told.
“He’s determined that this is the last time he’ll be in custody,” Miss Murphy added.
Judge Paul Hobson told Athay: “You have a temper which leads to violence.
“You have a record of aggressive behaviour.
“There was a significant degree of premeditation here and your offences are aggravated by your previous convictions.” The defendant was jailed for 28 months and will serve half of that time in prison before being released on licence.
He was made the subject of a 10-year restraining order not to contact his sister.
Athay will have to pay a victim surcharge.
