Man jailed for brandishing knife at ex-girlfriend on Doncaster street

Harry Hayes' '˜tempestuous' relationship with his partner had come to an end when he turned up near to her sister's home in Doncaster on June 30 this year, Michael Tooley, prosecuting told Sheffield Crown Court. 

Mr Tooley said Hayes, 28, approached the woman's sister and asked to be let into a communal area connected to her property to wait for his former partner. 

'She came into the communal area, and told her: '˜You'd better f*** off'. It was at that point he threw a glass of water over her. At one point he ran at towards her without making contact,' said Mr Tooley. 

 

 

The woman responded by going inside, and Hayes, of Rose Avenue, Balby later told her sister: 'Tell her to come outside, I will batter her.'

Hayes was arrested over the incident, and was on police bail when he encountered his former partner and her sister in the street a matter of days later on July 3. 

The court heard how when the pair encountered each other Hayes said to his former partner: 'Are you going to phone the police,' before brandishing a six-inch knife at her. 

The women left the scene, and Hayes was arrested a short time later. 

In a victim impact statement read out in court, Hayes' former partner described how his actions had left her feeling scared.

She said: 'Harry intimidates me. He hates me. I'm always watching my back. He's capable of anything, and scares me. He makes me feel like everything is always my fault.'

 

 

The court heard how Hayes has an extensive criminal record, including offences of robbery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and and common assault, and received the first of his 35 of convictions at the age of just 12-years-old. 

Hayes admitted two offences of using threatening words or behaviour and one of assault by beating during an earlier hearing.

He denied a charge of possession of an offensive weapon, relating to the second incident, but was found guilty of the offence following a trial at Doncaster Magistrates' Court. 

Defending, Ms Stevens, told the court that Hayes accepted the relationship was toxic. She urged the judge to steer away from immediate custody and make an order for Hayes to attend a '˜Better Relationships' programme to assist him with dealing with some of his issues. 

She told the court that he still maintains his innocence in relation to the incident involving a knife. 

 

READ MORE: Doncaster Rovers: '˜I speak to Mallik Wilks more than my kids' '“ Grant McCann on life with the Leeds United loanee

 

Judge Paul Camp, Assistant Judge Advocate General, sentenced Hayes to 17 months in prison. 

He said: 'I'm satisfied so that I'm sure that you armed yourself specifically because you were expecting to see your former partner or her sister.

'You clearly caused her serious distress. You were holding the knife and front of her..and you did that to frighten them.'

Judge Camp also granted a restraining order which bans Hayes from contacting his former partner or her sister.

 

South Yorkshire Police have been asked to provide a custody image of Hayes