Padgate abuser 'ferociously' attacked partner rupturing her spleen

The injuries caused to Daniel Dolan’s victim were ones that are most commonly seen in car or motorbike crashes and she was left in worse pain than when she gave birth as a result.

The 34-year-old dad, of Egerton Avenue, Padgate, appeared before Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The incident happened on the morning of October 28 last year between Dolan and his partner who had been together for ‘some time’ and had a child together, prosecutor Arthur Gibson said.

During the course of the pair’s relationship, Dolan had an affair with a woman who he fathered a child with, and on the morning of the attack, the victim had seen a number of messages between the two so questioned him about them.

This turned into an argument before Dolan snatched the phone and punched the victim in the head. He then sat down to eat his breakfast.

Responding to his outburst, the victim flipped a plate of food on him.

Mr Gibson told Liverpool Crown Court that the defendant then lashed out, ‘ferociously’ punching his partner in the back and below her ribs with such force that she fell to the floor. He then stood on her back and was pulling her head back by her hair.

Dolan told the victim to get up off the floor and ‘stop being so dramatic’ but she was unable to.

“She said the pain she was in was worse than when she gave birth,” Mr Gibson said.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how after calling for an ambulance herself as Dolan wouldn’t do so, the victim was taken to Warrington Hospital where it was confirmed she had a grade 3 ruptured spleen which can be ‘life threatening’.

Mr Gibson said how in a medical professional’s experience, the injury is most commonly caused in situations where patients have been involved in a motorbike or car crash due to the extreme force suffered.

The self-employed builder has previous convictions from 2016 for battery and criminal damage – which were committed on the same victim who was pregnant at the time.

Defending, Sarah Badrawy said how this was an ‘extremely nasty’ incident and her client is ‘deeply ashamed’ and remorseful.

He said: “He would say that if he could change what he has done, he would.

“He admits this incident was borne out of a bad situation that was brought by him.

“He thought he had put that type of behaviour behind him. He is deeply ashamed of what he has done.”

Concluding, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary QC, said: "You completely lost your temper, resulting in your violent attack on her.

“You punched her violently and the blow must have been ferocious because it resulted in the rupture of her spleen.

“You caused very serious injuries that could have been life-threatening.”

Dolan received a 40-month prison sentence.