Sheffield man swung hammer at ex’s head after begging her to come back

Luke Denton told the woman, "We need to talk," but she walked away from him on School Road, Crookes, at 8.10pm, on November 29, last year.

After he spat in her face and she pushed him away, Denton swung the hammer and she raised her hands to defend herself, said prosecutor Austin Newman.

The blow caught her thumb, causing it to bleed, and he ran off.

Sheffield Crown Court heard their eight-year relationship ended in July 2019, and in October Denton started sending her messages via email and Facebook.

They alternated between imploring her to come back to him, or threatening to blow up her house, and warning "that she didn't know what he was capable of."

Between November 27 and 29, he left 35 voicemails, in which he threatened to burn her house down, set fire to her car and kick in the front door, Mr Newman said.

Denton denied the assault and said his ex-partner was the aggressor.

The court heard he has several previous convictions, including burglary, and was jailed for 18 months, for three counts of robbery, in July 2018.

Amy Earnshaw, mitigating, said Denton has "very significant problems with his mental health".

Denton, 22, of Spring Close View, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to putting a person in fear of their life by harassment and assault.

On Thursday Recorder Mark McKone said he deserved to go to prison but he won't be there for very long because he has been on curfew for 163 days

He told him: "Your temper is a problem if you don't get your own way. On November 30, you took an overdose. There was clearly a lot going on in your life."

He sentenced Denton to 13 months in prison, suspended for two years, with 30 rehabilitation days to address his anger management.

"I can't emphasize how important it is you keep out of trouble for the next two years," the judge warned him. No restraining order was requested.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

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