Jail for violent man who strangled and threatened partner with knife

A VIOLENT man who strangled his ex-partner and “jabbed at her” with a Stanley knife has been told to serve another 46 weeks in jail.
Mark WardMark Ward
Mark Ward

Mark Ward (45), of Garden Street, West Melton, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Sheffield Crown Court last Thursday (11), on the day his trial was due to begin.

Ward — who is already serving more than four years in jail for a burglary and another assault — attacked his ex-partner in the street.

The attack, which happened in Rotherham in October, was captured on CCTV.

Ward could be seen moving his foot towards his ex-partner as she lay on the ground.

Judge Rachael Harrison said: “You are a man prone to violence.

“You assaulted [your ex-partner] on the street, where you followed her.

“You were jealous — you had just accused her of seeing another man.

“As she was trying to evade you she tripped and fell backwards.”

Judge Harrison said Ward was bent over his ex-partner as he attacked her.

“She says you strangled her — thankfully, there are no injuries,” she said.

“You produced a Stanley knife and jabbed it at her without touching her body with it.”

Judge Harrison said the attack only stopped when passers-by intervened.

Ward, who was jailed for four years and ten months at Lincoln Crown Court in January for an assault and a burglary committed in 2015, was told to serve an extra 46 weeks for the assault.

Judge Harrison said she would have imposed “a significantly longer sentence” had he not been serving time already.

Mitigating, Mr Dermot Hughes said Ward would miss his daughter’s 16th birthday as a result of his jail time.

“He will have only himself to blame,” said Mr Hughes.

“He regrets what happened and he’s never taken any pleasure from it.”

Ward was banned from contacting his ex-partner or going to within 100 metres of her address by way of a five-year restraining order.