logo
Man downed litre of vodka in 20 minutes before throttling partner

Man downed litre of vodka in 20 minutes before throttling partner

Wales Online28-05-2025

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

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cardiff shooting: Police ask for dashcam footage
Cardiff shooting: Police ask for dashcam footage

South Wales Argus

time29 minutes ago

  • South Wales Argus

Cardiff shooting: Police ask for dashcam footage

The reported shooting occurred on in Clos Y fynnon, Pontprennau, Cardiff on Saturday, June 7 at 8pm. Motorists who travelled through Pontprennau, Pentwyn, Church Road or the A4232 (Pentwyn link road) between 7pm and 7.50pm have been asked to come forward. Detective Superintendent Mark O'Shea, from South Wales Police, said: 'I want to reassure the local community that teams of detectives and specialist staff continue to work at pace to piece identify who was responsible and are piecing together what happened that evening. 'The victim suffered relatively minor injuries, though it could so easily have been a lot worse. 'The public can help us identify and arrest who was responsible – anyone driving through the specified areas at that time on Saturday evening could well have vital evidence on their dashcams, so please send it to us so we can look through it." Information and footage can be submitted online here: Anyone with information can also contact South Wales Police quoting 2500180055. Live Chat: via: calling 101 or 999 in an emergency. Following the incident, the 15-year-old was taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening or life-changing.

Watch shock crash that finally landed ‘feral' teen in jail – just weeks after he got cop who rammed him off ebike sacked
Watch shock crash that finally landed ‘feral' teen in jail – just weeks after he got cop who rammed him off ebike sacked

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Watch shock crash that finally landed ‘feral' teen in jail – just weeks after he got cop who rammed him off ebike sacked

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the crash that finally got a "goading" teen locked up - just weeks after he got a cop who rammed him off an e-bike sacked. Mason McGarry was first riding with pal Dominic Mizzi when they were clipped by ex-PC Tim Bradshaw in his police car. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Mason McGarry led police on a 60mph chase in a friend's car Credit: Solent 6 It came just weeks after he was rammed off his e-bike by a veteran cop Credit: Solent 6 The serial offender is now finally behind bars Credit: Solent Footage showed the teens being catapulted across the wet road in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, before McGarry attempted to flee. Veteran officer Bradshaw was cleared of causing serious injury by dangerous driving but was forced to leave his job after 22 years. Then just one month later, serial offender McGarry was involved in another police chase - this time in a friend's car. The yob, who has 42 previous convictions - including for robbery, theft and dangerous driving - was captured dangerously trying to evade police. Footage shows McGarry trying to edge out of a t-junction with no regard for other motorists' safety. The teen then mounted the pavement at 60mph before smashing into a lorry - causing more than £1,000 worth of damage. He was sent to a young offender's institution for 12 months after he admitted dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop and driving without insurance. Portsmouth Crown Court heard McGarry was driving his sister and two others in the borrowed Vauxhall when his friend called police to say the car had not been returned. Officers began a pursuit through Chichester as the teen drove at 60mph in a 40mph zone in a bid to shake them off. The court heard his list of previous convictions was "unenviable" and includes offences of drug possession, trafficking and two dangerous driving convictions. Moment cop rams into e-bike rider & passenger with police car sending both flying Sentencing, Judge Jodie Mittell said: "The concern I obviously have is that the fifth time he will kill someone. "That could be his sister." At PC Bradshaw's trial in February, the court heard the crash took place while the officer was driving a marked Ford Focus. He said he tried to follow the e-bike after it rode past his car on the pavement in an attempt to "goad" him. Bradshaw said the same bike later pulled in front of him which is when he chose to make "tactical contact" at around 30mph. But he claimed only he "nudged" the electric bike with the bumper of his vehicle and that it was Mizzi's "own stupid fault". Bradshaw, who is now retired, added: "It was light contact, it was light enough, there was not a blemish on my police car. "I believed it was a justified, necessary action." During a voluntary interview with police, he also branded McGarry a "feral" teenager and someone who "just doesn't get it, just doesn't stop". A jury took just over an hour to reach their verdict and clear Bradshaw of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was also found not guilty of a charge of causing serious injury by driving without due care and attention. The retired cop later claimed his colleagues are now fearful of taking direct action in dangerous situations because of the potential consequences. 6 McGarry was filmed squeezing out of a junction before the crash Credit: Solent 6 PC Bradshaw was cleared of any wrongdoing Credit: Solent

Worrying widely shared Facebook post about missing police officer and child is not what it seems
Worrying widely shared Facebook post about missing police officer and child is not what it seems

Wales Online

time2 hours ago

  • Wales Online

Worrying widely shared Facebook post about missing police officer and child is not what it seems

Worrying widely shared Facebook post about missing police officer and child is not what it seems The post has been shared over 1,200 times on some local Facebook pages in Wales but police say it is believed to be a scam This post about a missing police officer has been shared over 1,100 times and counting on Facebook (Image: Facebook Screengrab ) Police have confirmed that a widely shared post on local social media claiming that a female police officer is missing is likely fake and a scam. The post, which was shared in local Facebook groups, including in Pembrokeshire and Cardiff, claimed a 'female police officer' named 'Thelma Jakes' had gone missing. ‌ It claimed that the authorities had appealed for help in locating her. ‌ But Dyfed-Powys Police has now confirmed to WalesOnline that the post is misinformation which the force believes is a scam. When it was posted on a Cardiff Facebook group, the post claimed that the officer was missing in Cardiff, whereas, when it was posted on a Pembrokeshire Facebook group, it claimed that the officer was missing in that area. The post has been shared on several other groups with same content and a different location (Image: Facebook Screengrab ) Article continues below Both posts have been shared at least 1,200 times between them. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here However the post shared on the Pembrokeshire group has had a greater reach, being shared more than 1,100 times, whereas the one on the Cardiff Facebook group had been shared over 102 times as of publication of this article. The post also tries to evoke an emotional response from those reading it by claiming that the officer's vehicle was discovered with her daughter inside while she remains unaccounted for. ‌ It concludes by asking people to share the post saying: "The community's help is urgently required. Sharing this information takes only 2 seconds." Police have warned against this, as it could contribute to misinformation. Dyfed-Powys Police has also said that there are no official reports from any other police force relating to the officer mentioned in the fake post. ‌ South Wales Police has also confirmed that there is no missing police officer in Cardiff. In statement on its Facebook pages for Pembrokeshire and surrounding areas, Dyfed-Powys Police said: "We have been made aware of social media posts relating to an alleged missing police officer in the Pembrokeshire area. "We can confirm that we have received no official report from any other police force relating to this individual and believe the post to be a scam. Article continues below "To prevent the spread of misinformation, we ask you not to share the post. "

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store