Ravelle Melbourne (Image: South Wales Police)
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A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison after subjecting his partner to a campaign of violence that left her with multiple fractures to her jaw.
Ravelle Melbourne, of Clive Road, Canton, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to wounding and three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The court heard he carried out four separate attacks on the victim between January and September last year, driven by jealousy and accusations that she had been looking at other men.
The injuries
The most serious assault, on June 27, saw Melbourne attack the victim at her Cardiff flat after accusing her of looking at another man at a Morrisons petrol station.
Prosecutor James Evans told the court Melbourne pulled the victim from the sofa to the floor, where she struck her head. He then picked up a coffee table and hit her on the head with it before throwing the broken table top at her leg.
Melbourne went on to throw a hoover at the victim, causing dizziness, before hurling a baby gate at her chest and slapping and kicking her to the ribs.
A pattern of control
The violence began on New Year’s Day, when Melbourne pushed the victim onto a bed after they returned home from spending the day with family, causing her to hit her head on a wall. He then pushed her into a bedside unit.
On April 22, after a day out in Llanishen with the victim’s younger brother, an argument broke out and the victim refused to let Melbourne into her flat. When she opened the door, he pushed her to the floor and tried to grab her keys. Mr Evans said she suffered scratches to her back and was kicked in the head before Melbourne left.
The final attack
The last assault took place on September 12 after Melbourne took issue with the victim’s plans to meet friends. He pulled her from the sofa by both arms and pushed her to the floor. As she tried to sit up, he grabbed hold of her and threw a baby gate at her head with full force.
After ripping the victim’s nightgown and shutting the curtains, Melbourne prevented her from leaving the flat. Mr Evans said the defendant pulled the victim to the floor as she screamed for help, placing his hand over her mouth and pulling at her jaw while telling her to be quiet.
The victim tried to bite him in self-defence but Melbourne continued pulling her jaw, causing her to bleed. She was eventually able to call for help, but the defendant threatened to “knock her out” if she contacted police.
Officers attended and arrested Melbourne while the victim was taken to hospital. She underwent an operation and was found to have suffered a number of fractures to her jaw. Screws were inserted, some of her teeth were removed, and metal wires were placed around her jaw.
Victim’s words
In a victim personal statement read to the court, the victim said: “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve gone back on antidepressants and became distant from my family members. I distanced myself from my mother and my own siblings. Due to the pain in my face I was in constant pain. It gets me down having constant reminders about it. I will think about it four or five times throughout the day and have nightmares about Ravelle hitting me.
“I wake up in the night with hot sweats and I lash out in my sleep as if I’m trying to defend myself. For the last six to seven months I have woken up in the night more often than not. I experience pain in my face due to the metal plates placed into it and in the cold it becomes worse with a numb and painful sensation. I was scared of coming to court and speaking as Ravelle would accuse me of looking at other men but I’m glad I stuck to my decision.”
She added that she feared her jaw could be broken again and was worried about chewing and the way she eats. She had to take four months off work but has since returned to her job.
Sentencing
In mitigation, Tim Naylor told the court his client had no previous convictions and described how Melbourne has a stable home, employment, and a close relationship with his family.
Recorder Claire Pickthall sentenced Melbourne to five years and three months’ imprisonment with an extended licence period of two years. He was also made subject to a restraining order for 10 years.
