Man broke his partner’s nose as he drove at 70mph on the M4 while their kids were in car

A father broke his partner’s nose^[1] as he drove on a motorway^[2] at 70mph with their children in the car before they crashed.

Gareth Davies tried to run from the scene of the accident and only stopped when two brave members of the public pinned him down and called the police. When officers from South Wales Police^[3] arrived, Davies’ son said: “Daddy was driving the car. Maybe now he will stop being mad.” Hannah Friedman, prosecuting, told the court how Davies began arguing with his ex, accusing her of speaking to other men at the show. He became aggressive towards her and then punched her in the face, causing her to bleed.

A scan at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Bridgend later showed the punch had broken her nose, Wales Online reported^[5]. A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard how Davies, 27, had been to the the Porthcawl Truck Gathering with his now ex partner, his son and her daughter, both aged three. Davies became intoxicated before the four left the show in Davies’ partner’s car shortly after midnight.

During the drive back, Davies continued to assault his partner, even stopping at a petrol station where CCTV showed him pulling her out of the car and assaulting her on the ground. As she tried to get the children out of the car, Davies removed his shoe and used it to hit her to the face. Davies then got into the driver’s seat where he later lost control on a bend and crashed into a hedge at the roadside. Officers from South Wales Police arrived at the scene and Davies was arrested after blowing 79 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of breath - more than twice the legal limit. He also tested positive for cannabis.

Davies’ victim suffered a string of nasty injuries, including to the right temple, right eye socket, collarbone, both arms and abdomen, as well as a broken nose. In a victim impact statement she said: “I haven’t been sleeping well since it happened and I don’t leave home. I am getting constant flashbacks. I want to move house because I don’t want him knowing where I live. Due to the injuries from the assault I don’t like looking at myself in the mirror. I feel embarrassed. My daughter sees my injuries every day and knows how they were caused.”

Defending, Ben Waters told the court: “He is ashamed and appalled by his behaviour. He knows quite vividly his actions were deeply unpleasant and could have had much more serious consequences and that it is only by luck than judgement that no-one else, including their children, were injured.” He said Davies, who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, had completed courses while on remand including in drug and alcohol awareness and building healthy relationships.

Davies was sentenced for assault occasioning actual bodily harm of his then girlfriend and for breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence handed to him last year for assault occasioning actual bodily harm of a previous partner, theft, disclosure of private photos, dangerous driving and possession of cannabis. At that time he was given a 10-month sentence suspended for two years.

Recorder Celia Hughes, sentencing Davies, told him: “This was an appalling offence in front of two young children which went on for some time. You were lucky it did not result in serious injury to your family and other members of the public.” Davies received two years, half of which he will serve in custody and the rest on licence. Recorder Hughes also imposed a restraining order preventing him from approaching or contacting his ex for at least five years.

References

1. ^{^} broke his partner’s nose (www.mirror.co.uk)
2. ^{^} drove on a motorway (www.mirror.co.uk)
3. ^{^} South Wales Police (www.mirror.co.uk)
4. ^{^} The first Black Friday mattress deal has arrived and it is the lowest price ever (www.mirror.co.uk)
5. ^{^} Wales Online reported (www.walesonline.co.uk)