November 17, 2021 12.12 pm This story is over 27 months old

Grantham man strangled ex in front of young son over cheating allegations

She said she falsely confessed to cheating to try and make it stop

A Grantham man who strangled his former partner until she could not breathe was jailed for 20 months on Wednesday.

Callum Ward, 23, also kicked his victim to the face, causing her nose to bleed, after accusing her of cheating on him.

Lincoln Crown Court heard much of the assault occurred in front of the couple’s young son after the woman agreed to let Ward into her home on February 10.

Mark Achurch, prosecuting, said Ward became angry after being let into the property and was pacing around.

The assault begain with Ward pushing his hand into the woman’s face and then slapping her before putting two hands around her neck for ’10 to 20 seconds.’

Mr Achurch said the woman falsely confessed to cheating on him in the hope it may end the assault.

But after she took the couple’s son to his room Ward followed her and continued the violence, the court heard.

Mr Achurch said the victim remembered being on the floor where a stamp from Ward caused her nose to bleed. He then grabbed her around the throat for a further ten seconds.

“This time she could not breathe,” Mr Achurch added.

The woman managed to flee through the front door after a further struggle on the stairs. In total the incident lasted around an hour.

Her injuries included a bruised lip and jaw, bleeding nose and tenderness around her neck.

Ward, of Beck Gardens, Grantham, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on February 10.

Leanne Summers, mitigating, told the court Ward disputed much of his victim’s account but accepted responsibility for causing her injuries and was remorseful.

Miss Summers said Ward also maintained that he was still in a relationship with the woman when the incident occured and that he had received a social media message that led him to believe she was cheating on him.

“In those circumstances he was unable to control his emotions,” Miss Summers added.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst said there was some dispute over if the couple were still in a relationship.

But the judge told Ward it was an aggravating feature that much of the assault had occured with the couple’s son present.

Judge Hirst also made a restraining order which prevents Ward having any contact with his victim for five years.