Thug jailed for kicking woman launches outburst in court

A violent thug who kicked a woman to the ground after she asked him to stop swearing has been jailed – before launching a foul-mouthed tirade at a judge.

Jordan Pole, 25, was shouting and swearing while kicking the door of his grandmother’s house in Caerphilly at around 1pm on November 1, 2024.

When a neighbour approached and asked him to stop swearing, Pole got in her face in an “aggressive and angry” manner before kicking her to the abdomen.

The force of the blow caused the woman to fall and strike the back of her head on the pavement. She was taken to hospital by ambulance but left before receiving further treatment.

The following day, she attended the University Hospital of Wales where she was treated for a 3cm wound to the back of her head and bruising to her abdomen.

Pole, of Heol Maerdy in Mornington Meadows, was arrested at 2.03pm on the day of the incident and interviewed the following day. He was identified by the victim in October last year and first appeared at Newport Magistrates’ Court in November.

He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. At the time of the attack, he had four previous convictions for five offences and was subject to a suspended sentence.

The lasting impact on the victim

In a statement read to the court, the victim spoke of the ongoing effects of the assault.

“When I leave the house, I’m thinking about it. When I open my gate, I’m thinking about it,” she said.

“My anxiety when I leave the house is bad.

“As a result of the assault, I am having headaches daily.”

Sentencing

Hashim Salmman, appearing for Pole, said the defendant’s early guilty plea was his strongest mitigation. He told the court Pole had not reoffended in the past 12 months and there had been a delay in the case coming to court.

“He’s abstained from misusing controlled drugs and alcohol,” Mr Salmman said, adding that Pole had sought support from the Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service.

Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant was unswayed, telling Pole: “You were causing a scene. You went from a nuisance to violent thug. The outcome could have been so much worse.”

The judge jailed Pole for 42 weeks.

“This is a serious offence,” he said. “You are a violent man attacking innocent people in the street. It’s not appropriate for the court to suspend the sentence.”

Judge Porter-Bryant revoked the community order Pole was subject to and granted the victim a five-year restraining order.

When asked if he understood the sentence, Pole launched an expletive-laden outburst in the dock, claiming “This ain’t fair” and “This is stupid”.