A Milford Haven man has been reprimanded by a Crown Court judge for ‘demeaning’ a woman during a prolonged and persistent attack.
Addressing Warren Harper at Swansea Crown Court this morning (Tuesday, August 30), Judge Huw Rees told him that his behaviour towards woman is unacceptable.
“You must understand that when you attack women in this way, as you have done on three separate occasions to two other partners, you demean them as women," he said.
"You also demean yourself as a human being.”
Harper, 30, appeared at Crown Court via video link from Swansea Prison after pleading guilty to a charge of assaulting his partner, causing her actual bodily harm.
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Dressed in a dark blue t-shirt, he listened as barrister Sian Cutter, prosecuting for the Crown, described the events on the night of July 3.
Harper and Demi Oliver had been out drinking in Milford Haven but around 11pm an argument broke out between them in Charles Street.
The defendant left the scene and Ms Oliver made her way home. But upon arrival, she discovered that Harper was already there.
“They immediately got into an argument and the defendant held his hand over her mouth, held her down and squeezed her to the face to the point where she was unable to breathe properly,” said Sian Cutter.
“He then grabbed her by her arms and pulled her hair, resulting in some of it falling out.”
At this point Ms Oliver managed to get out of her property and ran to a neighbour for help.
As a result of the assault she sustained bruising to both her eyes, bruising to her right arm, right leg and beneath her chin, scratches to her hands, a cut to her top lip and large abrasions across her back.
The Crown informed Judge Rees that Harper has three previous convictions of battery against two of his former partners.
Harper was represented by barrister Jon Tarrant.
“This particular relationship was going quite well, but what caused this incident was the alcohol which is his predominant problem,” he said.
Harper was sentenced to 20 months in custody, half of which will be spent in prison while the remainder will be spent on licence.
“This assault was on a vulnerable woman in the confines of her own home,” said Judge Huw Rees.
“If you don’t watch what you do in the future as far as assaulting woman is concerned, your sentences will increase incrementally.
"And you’ll now have time to consider this during the sentence which I’ve decided to impose.”
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