A man has been sentenced to two years in prison after illegally entering his former partner’s home and assaulting her. Joshua Cain, 38, from Brassmill Lane, Newbridge, Bath, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday, 23 July.
On the morning of 5 May, Cain made repeated threatening phone calls to his ex-partner before forcibly entering her property near Bradford-on-Avon. During the incident, Cain grabbed the woman by the wrist and throat, threatened her further, and then searched through her phone.
He then subjected her to a violent physical assault, repeatedly striking her in the face, dragging her across the kitchen, and strangling her against the wall-acts that left the victim fearing for her life. While Cain was going through her phone, the victim managed to contact a colleague, who alerted the police.
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Upon their arrival, Cain fled by jumping out of an upstairs window but was quickly caught in a nearby field and arrested.
In a personal statement submitted to the court, the victim described the lasting impact of the attack: “Since the offence, I have felt anxious and on edge. I have been unable to sleep properly. I wake several times a night, often not being able to fall back to sleep at all. My usual routine has fallen apart. I was a regular gym goer but have not been since and don’t feel I can go now. I don’t walk my dog on my own anymore and if there is no one to go with me then I don’t walk her at all. I replay the events of that morning in my head a lot. I am plagued with feelings of shame and embarrassment. I have lost my confidence, and retreated into myself. I feel guilty to go out and enjoy myself. I feel shame that someone I loved wanted to hurt me.”
Cain pleaded guilty to charges including intentional strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage. The court also imposed a five-year restraining order.
Local Crime Investigator Shonna O’Harney commented: “This must have been an incredibly frightening and traumatic incident for the victim in her home, no doubt impacting the feeling of security which you should be able to have at home. I want to pay tribute to her for coming forward and reporting the abuse to the police. She has then shown immense strength throughout the process to bring about this sentencing. We take these reports very seriously and we will always act robustly to bring domestic abuse perpetrators before the courts. If you are experiencing any form of domestic abuse, please come forward.”
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police added: “If you have experienced abuse of any kind then you don’t have to deal with it alone, and it’s never your fault. Call 999 if you are in danger, if threats have been made against you or if a crime is in progress. If you need the police but are unable to talk due to your situation, you can dial 999 then press 55 instead of asking for the police. Information about Clare’s Law – the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme – is also available online.”