A man has been jailed after violently attacking his pregnant former partner during a jealous outburst at her home.
The court heard that Kieran Walton went to the woman’s residence in an attempt to rekindle their relationship after being released from prison, where he had previously served time for assaulting her.
However, the situation escalated into violence after an argument broke out over accusations that she had been seeing other men while he was behind bars.
Prosecutors said Walton became aggressive after discovering she was recording his verbal abuse during the confrontation.
He then pushed her over a sofa before biting her on the upper back, leaving visible bite marks, the court was told.
Walton also struck the woman in the face and placed his hands around her throat, restricting her breathing for several seconds. The victim, who was 16 weeks pregnant at the time, suffered bruising and injuries to her face and back.
The court heard Walton, 35, of no fixed address, has 20 previous convictions and had only recently been jailed for seven weeks in October for a prior attack on the same woman.
He later admitted charges of actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation.
In sentencing, the judge warned that even brief strangulation can cause extreme fear and serious risk of death, highlighting the severity of such offences.
Walton was subsequently jailed for 21 months. His defence lawyer said he was dealing with mental health issues and had a history of employment stability, but the court proceeded with the custodial sentence given the seriousness of the attack.
