'Fortunate' Rugby man avoids jail sentence after attack on girlfriend - The Rugby Observer

'Fortunate' Rugby man avoids jail sentence after attack on girlfriend

Rugby Editorial 17th Sep, 2015 Updated: 27th Oct, 2016   0

A VIOLENT Rugby man has been given consecutive prison sentences after spitting into a policewoman’s eye as he was being arrested for kicking, punching and headbutting his girlfriend.

But after hearing that William Hall’s victim is sticking by him, a judge at Warwick Crown Court suspended the two sentences.

Hall, 24, of Yarrow Close, Rugby, had pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner, causing her actual bodily harm, and to common assault on the police officer.

He was sentenced to 23 months in prison suspended for two years, with supervision for two years, and ordered to take part in a ‘Building Better Relationships’ programme.




Prosecutor Antonie Muller said Hall and his partner had been in a relationship for two-and-a-half years, during which she said there were violent incidents, and they have a young son.

Although they did not live together, he would stay at her home in Rugby, as he was doing at the time of the incident at the end of June.


At a town centre club, Hall became argumentative and approached her aggressively. He wanted her to go home with him but she refused, so he went back to her home alone.

When she arrived home in the early hours of the morning she saw Hall had smashed a panel in her front door and was climbing inside.

Mr Muller said: “She got out of the taxi, and he started to fight with her. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the floor and began throwing punches at her repeatedly in a frenzied attack.”

The taxi driver tried to intervene, but Hall threatened to smash up his taxi.

When the driver asked her if she needed help, Hall’s partner replied: “I’m used to it.”

She went into the house, where Hall started on her again by headbutting her with such force she was knocked to the floor where he punched and kicked her.

She managed to get away and went to the home of a neighbour who called the police.

When officers arrived, Hall picked up a house brick which he threw at the front door and clenched his fists as the officers took hold of him.

Hall spat straight into the eye of a female officer before turning to his partner and threatening: “Wait ’til I get out.”

When questioned, Hall said he had kicked the door in so he could get inside to get his stuff, but he accepted that he had knocked her to the floor and kicked her ‘a couple of times’ to her legs.

Mr Muller added that Hall had been sentenced to 14 months detention in 2010 for wounding, and had been given a community order for battery two years later.

Ian Speed, defending, said: “He fully accepts all the behaviour which has been outlined.

“He has been in custody since June 29, and the period in custody has hit him hard. He has been able to see his one-year-old because his partner has been visiting him, but his former partner has not, and he has not seen his other child.”

Pointing out that Hall’s partner was prepared for him to stay at her home if he was not jailed, Mr Speed added: “This young man has got to learn, and to learn he has got to have someone to teach him.”

Hall was given suspended sentences of 20 months for his assault on his partner and three months for the assault on the officer.

Judge Sylvia de Bertodano told him: “You are incredibly fortunate to have a partner who, despite all this, is sticking by you. She should be able to look to you for support, not violence.”

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