Knife-wielding jealous Leeds 'bully' who headbutted partner later drove BMW at her in a rage
A thug who headbutted his partner while she was cradling their baby and made threats to kill her with a kitchen knife, later drove his car at her in a rage.
Elliot Richardson was jailed at Leeds Crown Court for a campaign of violence and fear against his partner, who later told police that she felt there was “no way out” of the relationship.
The court heard the pair met in 2019 and he later moved into her Castleford home. But in January 2020 his behaviour began to change and would become aggressive, prosecutor Nick Adlington said.
In one incident, he grabbed the knife and threatened to kill her. He also threatened to kill the woman’s father who was seriously ill at the time.
In January 2020 the woman had their young child in her arms as an argument broke out.
Richardson headbutted her to the mouth and punched her. She did not go to the police after he apologised.
In May 2021 he punched the back windscreen of her car outside of his place of work at Allerton Bywater Business Park. He was fired by his employers as a result.
In December 2021 he punched her to the head while she was pregnant, but he later apologised, so again the police were not contacted.
On Christmas Day, 2022, he became angry because she allowed the children to open Christmas presents without his permission. He kicked a hole in the bedroom wall and told his partner she “should be dead”.
Out of fear, she took the family out of the house and told Richardson he needed to be gone by the time they got back.
Then in November last year he came to her address and became angry and demanded to know about her new relationship. He then drove his BMW at her before getting out and “ragging her around” saying he was going to murder her.
He then followed her into her home before she told him she was ringing the police and he left. He later sent her a message apologising but was arrested.
Richardson, of Hallfield Avenue, Micklefield, has seven previous convictions for 20 offences, including affray, battery and criminal damage.
Among the offences admitted were two counts of ABH, two counts of criminal damage and making threats to kill.
Mitigating, Charles Blatchford said 31-year-old Richardson was “clearly a hard-working man” who provided for his family and jail was not necessarily the best punishment.
But the judge, Recorder Ian Mullarkey, referred to a probation report into Richardson that said he “little insight” into his offending.
He described him as “violent and aggressive bully” and jailed him for four years.