
Man downed litre of vodka in 20 minutes before throttling partner
Man downed litre of vodka in 20 minutes before throttling partner
Grant John's barrister told the court the father-of-five is "ashamed" of what he did
Grant John
(Image: South Wales Police )
A man downed a litre of vodka in 20 minutes before attacking his partner, a court has heard. Grant John then got behind the wheel of a friend's car and "chose" a parked vehicle to crash into.
The defendant's barrister told Swansea Crown Court that the father-of-five was "ashamed" of what he had done and that he wanted the court to know he is a "different person when not in drink". A judge told the 37-year-old defendant that custody was inevitable in the case.
Emily Bennett, prosecuting, told the court that on the afternoon of April 2 this year the defendant was at his partner's house in Skewen with a litre of Absolut vodka. She said John proceeded to drink most of the bottle of alcohol in the space of some 20 minutes and began complaining about the way eggs were being cooked in the kitchen.
The court heard the defendant's partner was upstairs when she heard "banging" in the kitchen. The woman went downstairs to find the kettle and a cupboard had been damaged, and she asked John - who was "very intoxicated" - to leave the property. The defendant responded by grabbing the woman around the throat with both hands and forcing her into the living room and pushing her onto a table where she cried out for help. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter
The prosecutor said John subsequently slapped the woman across the face and left the house, and the victim locked the doors behind him. The woman later heard banging at the door but refused to answer it, and when she subsequently checked she found blood on the outside of the door.
The court heard that when police attended the property they found damage to the front door, damage to the hallway where John had punched the wall, and a smashed rear window on the woman's car.
The prosecutor said John came to the attention of police again at 10pm the same night after a blue Ford Focus was seen driving along Burrows Road in Skewen at speed before crashing into a parked Suzuki Swift car. The defendant was still at the scene when officers arrived and he told them he had "chosen" to drive into the Suzuki, and he said the Focus he had been driving belonged to a friend in Bristol.
The defendant was arrested and a subsequent breathalyser test showed he had 65mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mg. He made full admissions to his offending during his police interview. Read about a sex offender who carried out detailed surveillance of local children including mapping their movements to and from school
Grant John, of Ropewalk, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, common assault, assault by beating, criminal damage, drink-driving, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and driving without insurance when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 10 previous convictions for 36 offences including three for assault - two of which involved the same complainant as the current case - seven for criminal damage, and seven for driving while disqualified. His last conviction was in July last year for assaulting an emergency worker.
Stephen Thomas, for John, said the defendant was "ashamed" of what he had done and was realistic about the sentence he was facing. He said the father-of-five had experienced a "very difficult if not traumatic upbringing" at the hands of his mother which had left him with mental health issues which he had sought to deal with by consuming alcohol. The barrister said John realised he had to stop drinking, and he said his client wanted the court to know that "he is a different person when not in drink".
Judge Catherine Richards said John had a history of violent behaviour especially when in drink, and said that issue was something the defendant had himself acknowledged in a letter he had written to her. She said she took the contents of the letter to be genuine, and said she accepted that "when sober and reflective" the defendant is remorseful. but she told him that "actions speak louder than words" and what happens in the future is down to John. She told him that in the meantime custody was inevitable for the offending before the court.
With one-third discounts for his guilty pleas John was sentenced to a total of 24 months in prison. He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community, The defendant was disqualified from driving for three years with the ban extended by an additional 45 weeks to account for the time he will be behind bars.
Article continues below
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Man arrested on suspicion of murder after death of woman in Welsh village
Man arrested on suspicion of murder after death of woman in Welsh village Police are investigating the death which is being treated as an isolated incident Police were called to Pentwyn Court on Monday, June 2 (Image: Google ) A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman died in a Welsh village. Police say the death of a woman after a medical episode at a property in Rhondda Cynon Taf is unexplained and is being investigated. Officers were called to a property in Pentwyn Court in Penywaun, Hirwaun, on the evening of Monday, June 2 with a report of concerns for a woman who had experienced a medical episode. She was taken to hospital by ambulance where she died a short time later. Police confirmed that a 27-year-old man from Hirwaun was arrested on suspicion of murder. He has been bailed pending further inquiries until September 3. Police previously said a 27-year-old man from Hirwaun was assisting with inquiries into the death, which is being treated as an isolated incident. A previous statement from South Wales Police said: "South Wales Police was called just before 5.25pm on Monday, June 2, with a report of concerns for a woman who had experienced a medical episode in a property in Pentwyn Court, Penywaun, Hirwaun. Article continues below "She was taken to hospital by ambulance where she died a short time later. At this stage the death is unexplained and is being treated as an isolated incident." Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions, and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.


Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Couple claimed Universal Credit despite owning second home worth £170,000
Couple claimed Universal Credit despite owning second home worth £170,000 A judge told the couple that 'stealing from the state is not an insignificant matter' Vivian Park Drive, Pot Talbot (Image: Google ) A couple applying for benefits did not disclose that they owned a second property which they were renting out, a court has heard. As a result of the fraud the couple pocketed £48,500 in universal credit over a four-year period Swansea Crown Court heard the application for benefit payments by Brian and Frances Rowe was "fraudulent from the outset". A judge told the pair that "stealing from the state is not an insignificant matter" and their offending crossed the threshold for a custodial sentence. Ryan Bowen, prosecuting, told the court that in February, 2019, the Rowes made a claim for the universal credit benefit declaring they had savings, investments of capital of less than £6,000. The claim was approved, and the first payment was made the following month. The court heard the couple had not declared that Brian Rowe owned a second property on the street where they lived, and had done for some 20 years. When the couple made the application for benefit the second house was worth around £170,000 which would have made them ineligible for universal credit. Article continues below The prosecutor said that in December, 2013, a claim for housing benefit had been made in respect of the second property with Mrs Rowe being named as the landlord, and he said the rent on that property had been £500 per month. The court heard that as a result of the false declaration made by the defendants, between February, 2019, and August, 2023, the couple received £48,517 in overpayments they were not entitled to. The prosecutor said it was the crown's case that the claim for universal credit had been "fraudulent from the outset". For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter Brian Rowe, aged 63, and Frances Rowe, aged 58, both of Vivian Park Drive, Port Talbot, had previously pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances when they appeared in the dock. Brian Rowe has one previous conviction for one offence of criminal damage; Frances Rowe has no previous convictions. Huw Davies, representing both defendants, said the couple had re-mortgaged their home to raise money and had already started paying back what they owed. Judge Geraint Walters said it was clear from what he had read that the motivation for the offending had been financial, with Brian Rowe being unable to work at the time of the application due to ill-health leaving the couple with just Frances Rowe's income. The judge said "stealing from the state is not an insignificant matter" and the offending crossed the custody threshold but he said on a proper application of the sentencing guidelines he could not justify a sentence of immediate custody even if he wanted to impose it. With one-third discounts for their guilty pleas the defendants were each sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years. Article continues below A hearing will be held on June 24 to set a proceeds of crime timetable or to deal with the issue of confiscation and repayments.


Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Urgent hunt for woman, 24, who vanished on Friday and has not been seen since
Police have launched a desperate hunt for a woman after she vanished without a trace. Cara Winkworth, 24, disappeared on Friday and has not been seen or heard from since. She is believed to be in the Cardiff area and was last seen wearing a green jumpsuit and a black coat. South Wales Police have appealed to the public for help locating Ms Winkworth, who is roughly 5ft 3 in tall. South Wales Police said in a statement: 'Help us find Cara Winkworth, 24. 'Last seen on Friday, June 6. 5ft3 / 5ft4 and was believed to be wearing a green jumpsuit and a black coat which had a hood. 'Likely to be in the Cardiff area. Contact us quoting 2500182210.'