Booze-fuelled South Yorkshire thug threatened to "kick the baby out" of his pregnant partner

Sheffield Crown Court heard on July 13 how Ryan Winter, aged 28, of Grove Place, Doncaster, had subjected his seven-month pregnant partner to verbal and physical abuse before he threatened their unborn child.

Louise Gallagher, prosecuting, said Winter had returned home after drinking during the day and as he was shouting and slurring his words he abused his partner.

Ms Gallagher added: “He pushed the victim with an open hand to the back and caused her to fall into an oven and grabbed a phone from her hand.

"The victim described herself as incredibly distressed and she tried to get outside of the house.”

Winter grabbed his partner’s head and pushed the right side of her face into a wall, according to Ms Gallagher, and told her to call her mum back and not to call the police.

Ms Gallagher added Winter said he was going to “kick the baby out of her” before he put his arm around her throat in a headlock and as her mother heard this over a phone call she hung up and called 999.

Winter told police he injured his hand when he had hit a door and he told officers he had a brain injury causing him to get angry quickly.

The defendant, who has 12 convictions for 18 offences, pleaded guilty to affray after the incident on April 28.

His partner stated that at times Winter could be considerate, though these were “few-and-far between”, but she still wants him to be part of her children’s lives and she does not want him to be made subject to a restraining order.

Defence barrister Edward Moss said Winter had suffered a life-changing brain injury after an assault in 2016 that was so serious he needed seven months of treatment and he still has psychiatric issues.

Mr Moss added: “He knows that if he takes cannabis or alcohol the likelihood is that a switch will be flicked and that is why he knows he needs to stay clean and that is why he has been staying free of these drugs.”

He added Winter has acknowledged this was “truly appalling behaviour” towards someone he cares dearly about.

Judge David Dixon, who sentenced Winter to 20 months of custody, told him: “In the lead up to this offence you drank and took cannabis and the effects of both of these exacerbated all of these conditions.”

He added: “You decided to abuse your partner. You called her a string of horrible names.”

Judge Dixon said: “You came to know that your partner was on the phone to her mum. You threatened her mum. You threatened to ‘send the boys around’ when she was pregnant.

"You pushed her against the oven which would have caused her considerable distress.

"You then threatened to kick her baby out of her and you made it clear to her you were going to make sure that baby was aborted. Your baby.

“This was not nasty. This was utterly deplorable. This is the worst side of human nature when behaving like an animal.”

Judge Dixon added: “You have made some progress but the reality is you are a dangerous young man.”