Paranoid thug bit, choked and kicked heavily-pregnant Leeds partner just hours before she gave birth

Ashley Ingleby accused the woman of planning to leave him once she had their child and attacked her as she waited for a taxi, Leeds Crown Court heard.

He struck her, grabbed her by the throat, bit her hand and kicked her in the stomach telling her: “You will be better off dead.”

Appearing in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand, he admitted charges of strangulation and possession of a weapon in a private place after a homemade knuckle duster was found during a search of his home.

Charges of ABH and coercive control were not pursued by the Crown and will remain on file.

Prosecutor Eleanor Mitten said the couple had been in their relationship for two years and that he had been “physically and emotionally abusive” towards her.

On January 26, she received a call to say she needed to go the hospital to have their baby induced. She was 36 weeks pregnant at the time and living at his address on Leeds and Bradford Road in Bramley.

While she packed her bag, he became angry and said she would leave him. He became violent and struck her.

He grabbed her by the throat and squeezed, causing her to gasp for breath. The 39-year-old then bit her left hand and tried to kick her in the abdomen.

She was able to leave the house and get into the taxi. A midwife later contacted police and told them of the attack.

Ingleby was arrested but gave a no-comment interview.

He has 11 previous convictions for 14 offences stemming from 2009 to 2022. None are for violence but has an offence of possessing a bladed article from 2021.

In a victim impact statement the woman said she remained afraid of Ingleby and fears he will coming looking for her and their daughter.

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Mitigating, Andrew Petterson read out several letters of support from his family, that said he had a “good heart” but has mental health problems.

He said he had two other children from and was a “supportive co-parent”.

He also pointed to Ingleby not having any previous convictions for violence.

The judge, Recorder Aisha Wadoodi said it was “too serious” for anything other than custody.

She jailed him for 15 months. A restraining order was put in place for seven years to keep him away from his ex partner.