Sheffield Crown Court: Jealous booze-fuelled thug punched and stamped on former partner

Sheffield Crown Court heard on July 7 how Daniel Skelton, aged 29, breached a restraining order by visiting his ex-partner’s home where he accused her of cheating and attacked her.

Fatima Zafar, prosecuting, said: “She described her relationship with the defendant as an abusive and violent relationship often with alcohol being the trigger for that violence.”

Ms Zafar added Skelton was subject to a restraining order not to contact his ex-partner but he attended an address where she was staying to drop off a birthday present for their child and he accused her of moving address so she could see other men.

Skelton, of Garden Street, Mexborough, left the property but returned with cans of lager and began drinking, according to Ms Zafar, and he followed his ex-partner into her bedroom where he attacked her.

Ms Zafar said: “He followed her upstairs and booted open the bedroom door and verbally abused her. She described him as drunk.”

The defendant grabbed his ex-partner, punched her numerous times, threw her to the floor and stamped on her face and punched her again before she fled to a neighbour’s home and called the police.

Skelton, who has seven previous convictions for 12 offences, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm after the attack in February.

The court heard Skelton’s previous convictions include one incident involving an assault and damaging a window relating to his ex-partner and another incident of damaging another window at her home.

Ms Zafar said Skelton’s latest offending means he has breached a previously imposed suspended prison sentence, a restraining order and a previously imposed community order.

Richard Barradell, defending, said Skelton developed issues with alcohol consumption after he suffered a traumatic experience and when difficulties arise drink has been a trigger for his offending.

Mr Barradell added: “He did what he did. He is ashamed and he is sorry he fell into the state of drunkeness and drunken violence and his guilty plea starts to atone for that.”

Recorder Mark Cooper sentenced Skelton to 18 months of custody suspended for two years with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a Building Better Relationships programme.