November 26, 2018 4.22 pm This story is over 64 months old

Lincoln woman kicked and bitten by ex

She was attacked at her Lincoln home
Jake Coyle pictured by Lincolnshire Police.

A Lincoln woman “feared for her life” when her former partner broke into her home and attacked her.

Jake Coyle, 27, of Hamilton Road, Lincoln was the subject of a restraining order when he turned up at her home on the Ermine West estate.

His former partner, Whitney Swann, refused to let Coyle into her home on a Sunday night but he put a slab through the rear lounge window.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said: “Whitney was so scared she shut herself in her bedroom but Coyle got inside and forced the door.

“He grabbed her phone and tried to break it but was unsuccessful and she managed to keep the phone line open so that the police could hear.

“Coyle struck her with his fist to the right side of her head and tried to strangle her when she was on the floor. She was scared he was going to kill her.

“He was kicking and punching her and tried to bite her nose off. He carried on hitting her with his fist and told her ‘I’m going to get a knife and stab you.'”

Lincoln Crown Court then heard how Coyle hid in a loft to try and evade the police.

When officers tried to detain Coyle he threw the loft hatch at one of them, put his foot through the ceiling and assaulted an officer.

The defendant was tasered and arrested, but Coyle told them that “this isn’t the end.”

Ms Swann suffered from swelling to both of her eyes, scratches to her cheek, a bite mark on her nose and a footprint on her forehead.

Coyle admitted assaulting Ms Swann and causing her actual bodily harm, breach of a restraining order and damaging property as a result of the incident on September 23.

He also admitted two charges of common assault to police officers.

As a result, Coyle was jailed for 30 months and given a five year restraining order banning him from contacting Ms Swann.

In passing sentence, Judge Andrew Easteal, told the defendant: “You have terrorised and bullied her. It has left her petrified of your return and without any peace of mind. It was deplorable.”

Michael Cranmer-Brown, in mitigation, said that Coyle suffers from a mental health disorder and the incident happened at a time when he was not taking his medication.

He said that before the violence occurred Coyle had been meeting with Ms Swann through an arrangement with the probation service and believed he was back in a relationship with her but then that broke down.

“Coyle wasn’t receiving his medication. His mental disorder caused him to over-react.

“He knows he has a problem. He knows he behaved very badly on this occasion and he bitterly regrets it. He is aware he is a powder keg waiting to go off but he did try to do something about it.”