Man jailed for fracturing fiancée’s eye socket in attack

A man who brutally assaulted his fiancée, leaving her with a fractured eye socket, has been jailed for two years.

Alexander Patton, 32, of Llantwit Road, Neath, attacked his partner in her Swansea flat in August this year after a gathering with neighbours.

Swansea Crown Court heard Patton became “increasingly loud and aggressive” during the evening. When his fiancée locked herself in the bathroom, he followed her, accusing her of dancing with other men and calling her a “slag”.

Prosecutor Helen Randall said Patton forced his way into the bathroom, pushed the woman in the face, grabbed her by the throat, and shoved her into the shower cubicle. He then took her to the floor and repeatedly banged her head against the shower.

Police found the bleeding victim still in the bathroom. Patton lied to officers, claiming his fiancée had injured herself by falling down a step.

The victim was taken to hospital with cuts to her face and a fractured eye socket. In an impact statement, she said the experience had been “emotionally draining” and she could not believe she had been “betrayed” by someone she had loved. She was left with a scar behind her ear.

Judge Eugene Egan told Patton he had left his victim “bleeding, battered and bruised” before giving a deceitful account to police. The judge said the case was too serious to be dealt with by anything other than immediate custody.

Patton, a father-of-four who had not seen his children “for over a year”, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty plea, he was sentenced to 24 months in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence.