Domestic abuse victims urged to speak out as man is jailed

AS A man is jailed for assaulting his pregnant partner, police are encouraging domestic abuse victims of the importance of speaking out.

Dyfed-Powys Police is urging victims not to suffer in silence, encouraging them to report incidents as soon as possible so they can be investigated and support can be put in place with various specialist agencies.

The call comes as Steven McInerney, aged 41, of Burry Port, is jailed for attempting to strangle his pregnant partner and punching her in the ribcage.

The incident took place during the early hours of March 29 at the couple’s home. The victim told officers that her partner had been drinking when he became angry and assaulted her. She swiftly left the property for safety and summoned the courage to call police before being taken to hospital.

PC Tyne Evans said: “From speaking to the victim we learned that the offender’s behaviour had escalated, and that she was becoming increasingly worried for her safety.

“While there was initially some fear about pursuing a prosecution, we were able to reassure that measures would be put in place to protect the victim and her family, and contact was made with outside agencies who could provide further specialist support.

“Once her confidence had been gained, she was fully supportive of taking police action, and we were able to progress the investigation very swiftly.”

McInerney had left the property prior to police arrival and was located and arrested within two hours of the offence being reported. He was charged with domestic related assault by beating and criminal damage, and the following day an additional charge of using racially-aggravated threatening words or behaviour to cause alarm or distress towards officers was brought the following day. 

He pleaded guilty to all three offences at court, and was sentenced on April 14. He was handed an 18 week prison sentence, a restraining order preventing any contact with the victim for two years, must pay compensation of £350, and court costs of £85.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Yelland said: “We hope this sentence brings comfort to the victim, knowing that the offender cannot contact her for two years. If he breaches this order he will be committing a criminal offence, for which he could receive a prison sentence.

“We also hope that by raising awareness of this case we can reassure anyone living in an abusive relationship that police will always respond swiftly to incidents of this nature, that we treat all reports seriously and sensitively, and that ongoing support can be put in place to help you through an investigation and beyond.”