Sheffield Crown Court: Four of the biggest cases this week, including thug who accidentally punched baby

One man was jailed after accidentally punching his baby while attacking his wife, another abusive partner was branded a ‘nasty piece of work’, and a third defendant was locked up for stabbing a man in the bottom during an attack in a Sheffield park.

Below is a round-up of some of the people who have been convicted and sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court over the last seven days.

Baby boy left with fractured skull and bleed on the brain after dad accidentally punched him at Sheffield home

A man has been jailed for 30 months, after he accidentally punched his four-week-old baby during an attack on his wife in their Sheffield home.

Cory Conyers, aged 29, carried out the assault on his wife during an incident on December 18 last year, and Sheffield Crown Court heard how she was holding their young son throughout.

Recorder Megan Rhys said she accepted that Conyers had not intended to punch his son, who she described as being ‘caught in the cross fire’, as the defendant rained down blows on his wife.

Following the incident, Conyers fled the scene, while his wife took their son to Northern General Hospital, where he spent three nights.

The tot was found to have suffered two fractures to his skull and a bleed to the brain.

Prosecuting barrister Louise Gallagher said the police were called, and officers subsequently found Conyers parked up in his car on Chippinghouse Road, Nether Edge.

A breath sample taken on the night revealed that Conyers was twice over the legal blood alcohol limit, and he was remanded into custody following his arrest.

In a statement read to the court, Conyers’ wife said she was ‘devastated’ by what he had done.

Conyers, of Fulwood Road, West Sheffield, pleaded guilty to charges of causing grievous bodily harm, relating to the injury inflicted on Conyers’ son; assault by beating and driving while over the prescribed limit at an earlier hearing.

Ian West, defending, said: “He is absolutely ashamed and disgusted with what he did. There was no intention, of course, to harm his child. It was a reckless attack [on his wife], for which he accepts full responsibility.”

Thug jailed for stabbing man in the bottom in Sheffield park

Three men involved in a ‘prolonged’ attack on an acquaintance in a Sheffield park, which culminated in the victim being stabbed in the bottom, were hauled before the courts.

Defendants Tony Cain, Leon Moore and Lee South were brought before Sheffield Crown Court to be sentenced on March 4, following the assault on November 6, 2019.

Prosecuting barrister Ian West described how in the moments leading up to the assault, the three defendants and the complainant had been spending time at South’s flat in Darnall.

Mr West said there had previously been an altercation between the complainant and South, during which the complainant ‘punched’ South, who is Cain’s older brother, but he considered it to be ‘water under the bridge’ by the time he visited South’s flat.

The group of four visited a convenience store and were heading back to South’s flat when Mr West said the victim felt himself being grabbed from behind, thrown to the floor and set upon.

The court was told the attack was carried out by the three defendants, all of whom were involved in kicking and punching the complainant as he was on the floor.

Mr West said that the complainant felt a ‘sharp pain’ to his bottom, and realised he had been stabbed.

He tried to get to his feet, but fell back to the floor, at which point the three defendants continued with the attack.

Cain, Moore and South left a short time later, and a member of the public came to the aid of the complainant.

The complainant suffered two stab wounds to his right buttock in the attack.

Cain, aged 20, of Emerson Crescent, Parson Cross, carried out the stabbing and brought the knife to the scene.

He was charged with wounding, which he pleaded guilty to at an earlier hearing.

Moore, 21, of Haunchwood Road, Nuneaton, and South, 22, of Scraith Wood Drive, Shirecliffe, Sheffield, were initially charged with wounding, but the Crown Prosecution Service accepted their guilty pleas to the lesser charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following their assertion they were not involved in the stabbing and had no knowledge of the knife.

Recorder Ian Mullarkey jailed Cain for 20 months and sentenced South and Moore to six months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered them to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Thug who abused and controlled his partner in Sheffield is dubbed a ‘nasty piece of work’

A judge has dubbed a thug who repeatedly abused and controlled his partner a “nasty piece of work”.

Sheffield Crown Court heard on February 28 how Emmanuel Johnson, aged 26, monitored his partner’s finances and social media activity and verbally and physically abused her during a brief relationship in Sheffield.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told Johnson: “You commenced a relationship in the early part of 2020. It was over by the end of 2020.

"During the course of that you sought to control that young woman by constantly checking her mobile telephone and social media accounts.

"There were also several episodes of unpleasant violence visited upon her.”

He added: “You were and almost certainly remain a thoroughly nasty piece of work.”

Danielle Graham, prosecuting, told the court Johnson’s partner, who lived in Sheffield with her two children, said the defendant had been controlling and had checked her finances and social movements.

Ms Graham added the complainant’s family and friends had also heard Johnson being verbally abusive to her and reported seeing her with bruises as she became more withdrawn.

Police were called in September 2020, after the complainant reported she had been assaulted and she had claimed Johnson had grabbed her glasses from her face and grabbed her phone, according to Ms Graham.

Ms Graham said that in November 2020, when the complainant was pregnant with Johnson’s child and planning her father’s funeral, he insisted on returning to Birmingham and he allegedly grabbed her hair and slapped her.

A further incident took place while the couple were in bed arguing, according to Ms Graham, and the complainant was allegedly pushed and fell down the side of her bed and suffered ligament damage to her shoulder.

Ms Graham said in December 2020, the complainant also claimed she had been slapped and kicked and had her hair pulled by the defendant following another argument.

Johnson, of Kingswood Road, in Moseley, Birmingham, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour.

The complainant stated she became so distressed she could not continue with her job as a social worker.

Judge Richardson told Johnson: “You fall to be punished for your appalling behaviour towards this young woman.”

He sentenced Johnson to 18 months of custody and made him subject to a ten-year restraining order.

Sheffield thug jailed after subjecting ex-partner to physical and mental abuse

A thug who subjected his ex-partner to physical and mental abuse during their three-year relationship has been put behind bars.

Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 1 how jealous Scott Shooter, aged 24, of Lowedges Road, in Lowedges, Sheffield, threatened to rape his ex-partner, terrified her with a blow torch and smothered her with a pillow during a series of dreadful episodes.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told Shooter: “Your conduct was persistent and prolonged and you employed multiple methods to coerce and control your partner and there were many aspects of these where you designed to degrade that young woman.”

Prosecuting barrister James Baird said Shooter repeatedly assaulted and abused the complainant and checked her movements, calls and social media during their relationship between 2018 and 2021.

Mr Baird added the complainant had been grabbed by the hair and pulled, accused of cheating, was insulted, had her phone broken and on one occasion Shooter threatened to kill her dog.

Mr Baird said that Shooter threatened the complainant with a blow torch and told her he was going to “melt her face” as he chased her.

At the end of their relationship, Shooter taunted her by sending pictures of her belongings and claimed he had sold naked pictures of the complainant for £2,000.

Shooter, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to using coercive and controlling behaviour.

The complainant, who told the court she has been diagnosed with PTSD, said Shooter has taken the last few years of her life from her and she wants him to get help because she does not want this to happen to someone else.

Judge Richardson sentenced Shooter to 18 months of custody and made him subject to a 10-year restraining order.