A court has heard how a young mother was dragged by the hair from her friend’s house to a waiting car by her former partner before being bitten by him in front of two unknown Asian men sitting inside the vehicle.
After forcing her inside the car, Cameron Henchey, 18, repeatedly closed the car door against her legs as he attempted to secure her inside the vehicle.
“This woman was terrified that the defendant would kill her,” counsel Hannah George, KC, told Swansea Crown Court.
“And she believed that he would not stop.”
The violent attack took place on the evening of December 17, 2022 after Henchey had made numerous calls demanding to see his former girlfriend who was at her friend’s house in Blaen y Maes, Swansea.
“He was annoyed that she was spending time with her friend and demanded that she meet him,” said Ms George.
“But she refused to give him the address because he was angry and she had her three-year-old child with her at the property. But he was relentless, and did not stop.”
At 6pm the victim, who was 25, saw a Vauxhall Insignia park outside the property that was displaying a false registration plate.
Henchey, who had been disqualified from driving in 2020, got out of the vehicle and began banging on the front door, forcing it to open.
“He grabbed her by her hair with a clenched fist and dragged her with such force that he pulled out her hair extensions as well as her natural hair,” said Ms George.
“She fell to the floor so he picked her up by her hair again and forced her inside the car. He bit the back of her left shoulder and right knee and repeatedly closed the door against her legs to try and force her into the vehicle.”
CCTV footage of the attack was played to the court.
Once the victim was inside the car, the defendant drove off towards Gorse Avenue.
“As they drove off she kicked the door to try to get out but the defendant turned around and grabbed her by the hair,” said Ms George. “When the car stopped in Gorse Avenue, she managed to escape and went back to her friend’s address.”
But in the early hours of January 21, 2023, Henchey once again began making phone calls, demanding to see his former partner.
“He threatened to go round to her address and kill her,” said Ms George. “He said he would kick the door down and strangle her.”
Police were summoned to the address and whilst they were there, the defendant made another phone call, this time threatening to ‘smash her up’ and break every window at the property.
Officers noticed a motorbike parked near the property carrying two motorcyclists. When they went to investigate, the motorbike drove off.
Whilst the police were searching for it, the defendant arrived at the property and, after threatening to smash the windows, was allowed inside by the victim. He then put his hands around her neck, applying pressure which restricted her breathing. He also put a pillow over her face, restricting her breathing.
The victim managed to climb out of the window and the defendant was later found by police in the living room.
He was arrested and subsequently charged with kidnapping his former partner, assaulting her causing actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation, driving whilst disqualified and threatening to destroy or damage her property. He pleaded guilty to all five charges.
Imposing sentence, Judge Huw Rees said the events had caused the victim ‘considerable emotional and psychological harm’.
“There was also a pattern of violence and aggression that dates back to your early teenage years,” he said.
“The victim was humiliated, taken from a place of safety, manhandled into the car with two other men and the circumstances were highly frightening.”
Cameron Henchey was sentenced to three years in a Young Offenders’ Institution. Half of this sentence will be served in detention, with the remaining half on licence. He was also disqualified from driving for three years and six months.
