Jealous Sheffield thug is jailed after he pinned down ex-partner with his knee on her neck

Sheffield Crown Court heard on August 3 how Arron Jeffcock, aged 30, of Challoner Way, in Westfield, Sheffield, had repeatedly questioned his partner’s movements during their relationship and he stopped her from seeing friends and punched and headbutted her.

The judge – Recorder David Brooke QC told Jeffcock: “That controlling behaviour was a fact of the relationship from the outset even before she moved into your home.”

Prosecuting barrister Kevin Jones said Jeffcock would repeatedly question his partner about where she was, who she was with and who she was seeing.

Mr Jones added Jeffcock restricted her contact with friends and family, followed her, abused her, texted her, checked her underwear, handbag, phone, diary and correspondence, and locked her in their home.

Jeffcock also pushed his partner when she was 13 weeks pregnant and she later miscarried but it was not suggested this was a consequence of the push, according to Mr Jones.

Mr Jones said Jeffcock accused his partner of cheating on him and would turn up at her workplace and when he called her fat she became so scared to eat she lost weight.

Recorder Brooke confirmed that during the relationship Jeffcock’s partner said she had been punched to the eye, headbutted twice and after she had left him he threatened to kill himself.

Mr Jones also said that after Jeffcock was arrested for controlling and coercive behaviour he attacked the complainant and a friend at her home.

Jeffcock punched his ex-partner’s friend and as she tried to get her phone he grabbed and dragged her causing a laceration to her foot before pinning her down with his knee on her neck while her child was present.

The defendant, who has 17 convictions, pleaded guilty to using controlling and coercive behaviour between August, 2018, and June, 2020, to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and witness intimidation from February, 2022.

Jeffcock’s offending also meant he had breached a previously imposed suspended prison sentence for battery upon the same complainant.

Defence barrister Chris Aspinall said drugs and alcohol played a part in Jeffcock’s behaviour and he wants to be referred to a substance misuse course and he has no intention to contacting his ex-partner.

Mr Aspinall added: “He is simply resigned to the fact that in custody free from drink, free from drugs that he has acted utterly appallingly.”

He also said Jeffcock is “deeply sorry” and accepts he is going to serve a lengthy custodial sentence certainly longer than anything he has served before.

Recorder Brooke sentenced Jeffcock to 45 months of custody and imposed an indefinite restraining order to protect the complainant.

He told Jeffcock: “You dragged her away causing a laceration to her foot and you put your knee on her neck. That’s a nasty assault in her home with a child present and you have a bad record with antecedents going back a long time.”