Pontefract man threw girlfriend through car windscreen and imprisoned her in his house

Jake Blackmore, 31, from Pontefract, also poured water over the victim before forcing her to sleep soaking wet at the bottom of his bed.

Just after midnight on July 4, 2021, police were called to the Nevisons Leap pub car park in Pontefract, after reports that a man had smashed his girlfriend's head through a car windscreen.

Witnesses later clarified that Blackmore had picked up the woman and thrown her through the rear windscreen of a parked car, shattering the glass.

Two men then exited the pub and attempted to intervene, but both were assaulted by Blackmore, with one needing five stitches in hospital.

Blackmore was arrested and was released on bail, a condition of which stated he could not speak to the female victim.

However, in the following weeks he rekindled a relationship with her.

The two returned home to Blackmore's house on Orchard Head Drive on the night of August 29, having spent the day at the Leeds Festival. He then woke her up at midnight, because her phone was receiving messages, and accused her of seeing other men.

He then took her phone from her and left the house, locking her inside. The victim then climbed out of a window and waited outside the property.

The court heard Blackmore was looking through her texts before smashing the phone on the ground, chasing the victim and picking her up, before taking her back into the house. He then slapped her round the face, hit her in the stomach, kicked her in the chest and spat at her.

He then poured water over the victim and forced her to sleep, soaking wet, at the bottom of his bed. Blackmore did not allow her to leave, and she managed to escape the following day.

Blackmore pleaded guilty to counts of common assault, assault by beating and criminal damage for the incident on July 4. He pleaded not guilty to the counts relating to the incidents in August, which resulted in a trial and Blackmore being found guilty of false imprisonment, actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

A statement written by the victim was read out to the court. It said: "I reported the (August) incident four weeks after it happened due to being scared.

"He scared me so much I thought he was going to kill me. It was not something I could just brush under the carpet and ignore.

"I am now emotional and crying all the time. Before he got arrested, I was so anxious in case I saw him - any knock on the door would make me panic.

"I never suffered from mental illness until I met Jake. He tore me apart mentally and changed me as a person.

"I have little confidence and isolated myself from friends and family.

"I hope reporting this means Jake does not do this again to anyone else."

Mitigating for Blackmore, Robin Frieze told the court: "He is a man who, up until 2018, led a good life and made the best of work opportunities and had been in long relationships. He then developed mental health problems.

"He was deeply unhappy with himself and his life and took it out on those close to him. He thought 'she is not making me happy, it is her fault'.

"(He took to) drinking, taking drugs and casual sex - all the classic self-destructive behaviours that people do to try and make themselves feel better but do the opposite.

"He has a high level of insight and motivation and has done thinking about his own behaviour."

He added Blackmore had already been on remand for nine months.

Sentencing Blackmore to four years and two months in prison, Recorder David Gordon said: "I saw you give evidence (at your trial) - it was not an impressive performance.

"You seemed like a bullying and controlling individual.

"The psychological effects of this were extremely serious for the victim."