Sheffield Crown Court: Thug subjected partner to 'horrible abuse' and dragged her down three flights of stairs

Nathan Butler carried out the attack on his then-partner, with whom he had been in an eight-year-relationship, at his father’s home on New Year’s Eve 2021, Sheffield Crown Court heard during a hearing on June 30 this year.

Judge Peter Kelson QC told Butler: “This was horrible abuse followed by a shocking, 30-minute attack on your victim in the home, punching her repeatedly in the face and kicking her to the body.

“It culminating with her being thrown down three flights of stairs.”

Katy Rafter, prosecution barrister, told the court that ‘things were fine’ until the woman received news of a job offer, after which Butler, aged 28, began accusing her of ‘sleeping with other men’.

“Things escalated and at about 7.30pm, she got her things together to leave...he threw her telephone at the wall, damaging it, she continued getting her belongings together. He was calling her a fat s**g and a tramp,” Ms Rafter said.

She added: “He grabbed her by the hair, causing her to fall to the sofa, and told her: ‘You deserve everything you get’.”

Ms Rafter said Butler of Victoria Street, Mexborough, then proceeded to kick the complainant ‘to the body’ before dragging her down the three flights of stairs.

Following the incident, the complainant went to hospital and was found to have a number of injuries including swelling to the left side of her face; swelling and pain to her left elbow which was later found to be a fracture and a suspected fracture to her skull.

“The Crown say it was a prolonged and persistent assault,” Ms Rafter said.

In a brief statement read in court, the complainant said she had been left ‘shocked’ by the ‘level of violence’ Butler had inflicted upon her.

Ms Rafter said Butler has 25 offences from 15 previous convictions, all of which were committed against the complainant in this case, his former partner, ‘save for the most recent offence which was committed against his new partner’.

Butler has offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm; battery and breaching a restraining order, the court heard.

He pleaded guilty to offences of inflicting grievous bodily harm and criminal damage at an earlier hearing.

Defending, barrister Adam Keenaghan said Butler’s best point of mitigation was his guilty pleas, adding that his time on remand for this set of offences has ‘allowed him to reflect on what he’s done’.

“It shows some degree of insight...to accept his wrongdoing which shows some level of remorse,” he said.

Mr Keenaghan continued: “He’s not had a life without its difficulties. His mum has had some health difficulties and he’s struggled with homelessness and mental health problems…he doesn’t seek to excuse what he has done, but this provides an explanation.”

Judge Kelson sentenced Butler to 25 months in prison, and granted the complainant a 10-year restraining order which prohibits Butler from contacting her.