Cardiff Crown Court (Image: Huw Evans Agency / Alamy)
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A 25-year-old man who subjected his pregnant partner to a pattern of violent assaults – including gripping her by the throat while she was 20 weeks pregnant – has been handed a suspended sentence at Cardiff Crown Court.
Ross Herbert, of Ton yr Ywen Avenue, Heath, Cardiff, admitted one count of coercive and controlling behaviour on the first day of his trial. He was sentenced on Thursday to 27 months in prison, suspended for two years.
A relationship that turned violent
Herbert began a relationship with his victim in the summer of 2020. Prosecutor Tabitha Walker told the court the first year was stable, but Herbert became a “different person” after that – someone who was “horrible behind closed doors” while maintaining appearances in front of others.
The violence began in the summer of 2021 when the victim accidentally knocked over a drink. Herbert grabbed her by the throat and forced her against a wall. Around a month later, she noticed a message from another woman appear on his phone while he was showing her something. When she questioned it, he responded the same way – seizing her throat and pinning her to the wall before throwing her onto the bed and holding her down by her arms.
Attacked while pregnant
The court heard the most serious assault took place in September 2021, when the victim was approximately 20 weeks pregnant. Herbert had been drinking and confronted her about messages from another man he had seen on her iPad.
She left the property and hid behind a parked car, only returning once she believed Herbert had calmed down. Back inside, she accidentally spilt a drink and offered to get him another. His response was to pin her against the wall by the throat once more.
Ms Walker told the court the victim was “struggling to breathe” because of how tightly Herbert gripped her throat. She was left gasping for air before being pushed onto the bed.
When Herbert eventually let go, the victim called her mother and fled. He pursued her and snatched her phone. The prosecutor described her as “hysterical and frightened.” She managed to reach a petrol station where she used her iPad to contact her sister for help.
Abuse continued after birth
The couple’s daughter was born in February 2022, by which time the relationship had ended. Weeks later, Herbert was at the victim’s home helping care for the baby. When she asked him to prepare a bottle of milk and he refused, she remarked “some dad you are.”
He responded by pinning her against the headboard by the throat, telling her: “Don’t ever call me a s**t dad again.”
In March 2022, the pair crossed paths at Live Lounge in Cardiff while the victim was out with friends. An argument broke out and Herbert pushed her to the upper body and raised his voice. He was arrested but the victim chose not to provide a statement.
Ms Walker also told the court that throughout the relationship, Herbert regularly called his victim “stupid and thick” and told her she was a bad mother.
Victim’s words
In her impact statement, the victim told the court: “I am more stressed and anxious as a person.” She said she rarely goes out, particularly in Cardiff, for fear of encountering Herbert.
She said his behaviour has left her unable to maintain a relationship. She has had one partner since Herbert, which she ended quickly “due to fearing he would assault me.”
She added that raised voices now leave her frightened. “I just start crying”, she said.
Defence and sentencing
Martha Smith-Higgins, defending, told the court that Herbert’s offending ended more than four years ago and that he is now of good character. She said he has taken steps to address his behaviour, has been in a new relationship for a year with no reported incidents, and has worked to stop all drug use and reduce his drinking. She also cited a “difficult background” and the absence of his father as factors.
Herbert was arrested in July 2025 after a report was made to police. He initially denied ever assaulting the victim or placing his hands around her throat.
The court heard he has 13 previous convictions, some of which occurred in what was described as a “domestic setting.”
Recorder Christian Jowett noted a “substantial reduction” in Herbert’s offending since the final assault in 2022. He sentenced Herbert to 27 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, with 200 hours of unpaid work and a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
A restraining order was imposed for three years. Herbert was also ordered to pay £1,250 in costs and a statutory surcharge.
