Thug 'laughed loudly' as he repeatedly slapped terrified partner at Wakefield home

Thomas Smith was thought to be under the influence of either drink or drugs when he turned on the woman after coming to her home and demanding her car keys, which she refused to hand over.

He had only been recently released from jail for breaching a restraining order after being convicted of assaulting her by headbutting and kicking her.

The 28-year-old appeared at Leeds Crown Court today, via video link from HMP Leeds, where he has been held on remand. He admitted an offence of ABH.

The court heard that Smith and the woman had been in a relationship for around 13 years and had two children together. But it began to deteriorate about two years ago with Smith becoming violent, particularly when he had been taking drugs, his partner later told police.

He was given the suspended 16-week sentence in October of last year for attacking her, and the two-year restraining order. But he breached it within two days and the sentence was activated. However, the woman successfully applied for the order to be withdrawn, telling her he had changed.

Once released from prison, he lived at his parents’ address, but would visit the family home in Horbury “daily”.

On March 9 this year, he turned up at 2pm and demanded the keys to her vehicle. When she refused, he punched her to the mouth, causing her to fall back and hit her head on the door.

He then began slapping her while laughing, so she tried to grab her phone to raise the alarm, with Smith then grabbing her around the throat. She felt she was going to die and was convinced he had been taking drugs. She was able to flee and ring her father, who turned up as Smith continued “pacing up and down in an angry state”.

When her father arrived just minutes later he saw her being dragged about by her hair and when she came to the door she had blood on her face. She took the children and went to her father’s home, after calling 999. She went to hospital with bruising and a chipped tooth.

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Smith was arrested after police went to another address and found him trying to climb out of the back window to escape. He suggested the fight was self defence and that his partner was the aggressor. He denied the assault until the day of his trial at Leeds Magistrates’ Court, when he changed his plea to guilty.

Mitigating, Christopher Morton said of the relationship: “They have been together most of their adult lives. The relationship was a happy one until recently. The defendant accepts he has developed an alcohol addiction and also concede that he has experimented with drugs. It all came to a head last year.”

He said that Smith, of Esther Avenue, Wakefield, was “ashamed of his behaviour” but during his time behind bars had completed alcohol and drugs awareness courses.

Judge Penelope Belcher described it as a “horrible assault” but accepted Smith’s remorse. However, she said due to his previous convictions against his partner, it would be a custodial sentence. She jailed him for 21 months.