John Hazelgrove: Violent man beat partner twice in 15 days leaving her fearing she would die
A violent man breached bail conditions and a domestic violence protection order to subject his partner to a “prolonged” attack just days after leaving her bloodied and injured in an almost identical incident.
John Hazelgrove and the complainant had been in a relationship, and Sheffield Crown Court heard how things between the pair began well, but quickly began to deteriorate after she agreed to let him move in with her.
Prosecutor Zaiban Alam said that Hazelgrove was subsequently made the subject of a domestic violence protection order (DVPO).
Government guidance states that DVPOs are civil orders which provide “protection to victims by enabling the police and magistrates’ courts to put in place protective measures in the immediate aftermath of a domestic violence incident.”
Hazelgrove breached the DVPO to attack his then-partner on two occasions in the space of 15 days, the court heard.
Detailing his conduct in the first incident, Ms Alam said the complainant invited Hazelgrove, aged 37, to come round, and although things were initially “fine,” they soon “took a turn.”
“He slapped her across the face and strangled her…he had both hands around her neck,” Ms Alam said.
She continued: “She lost consciousness and thought she was going to die.”
The complainant’s next door neighbour could hear what was happening through the “thin” walls, and said she heard the complainant asking the male to leave, along with “screaming.”
“She heard the male say: ‘Do you want me to go back to my old ways’ and heard the complainant screaming, saying: ‘You’re hurting me’.”
The neighbour called the police, and officers arrived at the complainant’s flat a short time later.
Ms Alam said the complainant answered the door to officers, and was visibly bleeding and injured.
Hazelgrove was interviewed by police, and told officers he had not been at the complainant’s flat when she suffered the injuries and had an alibi.
He was released on police bail, with the condition not to contact the complainant; but the pair began talking again and Hazelgrove, of Church Street, Swinton, Rotherham, visited her home just over a fortnight later, the court heard.
“He started interrogating her about where she’d been, she said she’d been at her mother’s,” Ms Alam said.
She continued: “He punched her twice to the face and grabbed her by the throat…he stood on her back, again restricting her breathing.”
Following the attack, the complainant called her brother in the early hours of the morning, and was unable to properly speak, Ms Alam said.
She told the court that the complainant’s brother came round to her home, and found her bloodied, injured and shaking, and fearing her nose had been broken.
The police were called, and officers found and arrested Hazelgrove in the Swinton area of Rotherham, Ms Alam said.
Hazelgrove provided police with a prepared statement in which he claimed he had been for a walk in Rawmarsh at the time of the incident.
He was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, two offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one count of intentional strangulation and one count of criminal damage, relating to damage caused to the complainant’s property.
Ms Alam said the court did not have a victim personal statement from the complainant, or an update on her condition.
Defending, Harriet Edlington told the court that Hazelgrove’s mother died around three months before the incident took place, and he “turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.”
Ms Edlington said Hazelgrove has had time to reflect on his actions during his stint in custody on remand, and tells her he has “remorse for his actions.”
Hazelgrove, continued Ms Edlington, is “deeply ashamed for what he’s done” but has little recall of what happened due to being intoxicated at the time.”
She said Hazelgrove has spent the time behind bars “productively” achieving level one qualifications in mathematics and English, and a level two qualification in peer mentoring.
Judge Charles Thomas jailed Hazelgrove for 32 months and told him: “You assaulted her and you assaulted her seriously. You caused her very unpleasant and physical injuries to her face, and around her neck. It was a prolonged assault which involved strangling her.
“The court takes such offences very seriously.”
Judge Thomas said he had balanced aggravating factors such as the fact Hazelgrove breached both the DVPO and bail conditions imposed following the first incident to carry out further offending, with his personal mitigation, to reach the right level of sentence.
He also granted restraining orders prohibiting Hazelgrove from contacting the complainant and her neighbour for a period of five years.