Man jailed for brutal attack on ex-girlfriend in Neath

A Port Talbot man who subjected his former partner to a vicious assault, leaving her with a broken nose and black eyes, has been jailed for more than three years.

Vincent Carroll, 47, forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s flat in Neath on May 21 this year, smelling of alcohol with eyes described as “glassy and vacant”. What followed was a sustained attack that saw the woman repeatedly beg her attacker to stop – pleas that prosecutors said “only seemed to make him angrier”.

Swansea Crown Court heard the pair had met in 2024 when the woman was living in temporary accommodation in Neath. Their relationship initially appeared “positive”, but as Carroll’s “use of alcohol escalated his behaviour deteriorated”, with the defendant becoming increasingly aggressive and verbally abusive before they split.

During the May assault, Carroll verbally abused the woman and accused her of infidelity before striking her to the head and taking her to the floor. He “repeatedly struck her to the head and face with both fists”, causing her to briefly lose consciousness, then grabbed her by her ears and banged her head up and down on the floor.

When the woman managed to escape, Carroll pursued her, pushing her onto a sofa before picking up a broom and beating her with it, hitting her legs and ribs. She eventually fled down the communal stairs with Carroll in pursuit, pushing her to the ground once more before leaving the building shouting obscenities.

A worker carrying out repairs found the woman “crying, bloodied, and bruised” in the foyer and called 999. Officers arrived to find her with swelling to both eyes and covered in cuts and bruises. Inside her flat, they discovered signs of disturbance and a snapped broom.

Carroll was arrested nearby, his initial response being: “That girl is full of f***ing s***”. He was found in possession of the woman’s bank card. At Morriston Hospital, medics discovered the victim had suffered a chipped tooth, broken nose, cuts, bruises and swelling to her face, and bruising to her ribs and legs.

In an impact statement, the victim said she had been left suffering with anxiety and flashbacks and had been unable to leave her flat.

Carroll, formerly of Pembroke Terrace in Port Talbot but now of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty on the day of trial to inflicting grievous bodily harm, criminal damage, and theft. The court heard he has an “extensive criminal history” including offences of violence.

Defence barrister Matt Murphy said Carroll accepted his wrongdoing and the significant physical and mental trauma he had caused his victim, adding his client had addiction issues “not just related to alcohol” and wants to move away from the area upon his release.

Judge Catherine Richards told Carroll he had carried out a “prolonged and persistent” assault on his victim while in a state of intoxication. With a discount for his guilty plea, he was sentenced to 38 months in prison. He will serve 40% of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.