Man from Skegness attacked his pregnant former partner with knife

Gareth Hallam, who was the father of the baby, messaged his ex telling her “I’ll get someone to break your legs.

“You can’t go nowhere. Wait and see what happens. I’ll make sure you get battered. Good luck. You’ll need it when I’m done with you.”

Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, said that a male friend of the woman photographed himself stroking the baby bump as he sat next to her.

“Ten minutes later the defendant turned up banging and kicking at her door.

“She let him in. He came in holding a large kitchen knife.

“He looked around trying to find the man. He put the knife near to her neck. She tried to move the knife away and suffered a cut to her thumb.

“The prosecution accept that it wasn’t a deliberate act but he had gone there with the knife and was being aggressive.”

The prosecutor said that during the incident Hallam pinned the woman down and was shouting abuse it her.

After he left the property the victim went to a neighbour’s for help and police were called. As a result officers went to Hallam’s home and although he was not there he was arrested soon afterwards.

Hallam, 31, of South Parade, Skegness, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm as a result of the incident on 18 October 2019. He also pleaded guilty to sending electronic communications with intent to cause fear or anxiety.

He was given a two-year community order after the court was told he has already served the equivalent of a 15 month jail sentence while remanded in custody awaiting the hearing.

Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight ordered him to complete a better building relationships course and he was also given a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement. The judge imposed a restraining order banning Hallam from contacting the woman and from entering the street where she lives.

Neil Sands, in mitigation, said that Hallam is now in a relationship with another woman and intends to move to Grimsby on his release from custody.

He urged that Hallam should be given a community order as recommended in a pre-sentence report produced by probation staff.

“Mr Hallam has spent 235 days in custody and done the equivalent of a 15 month jail sentence, “he said.