Sheffield court: Twisted man struck partner's arm so hard it 'snapped' and threatened to stick knife 'up her'

‘She tried to help you, and you rewarded that help by abusing her’

Dressed in a grey tracksuit, domestic abuser, Nathan Green, remained silent as he was sent to begin a 49-month prison sentence for a string of violent offences carried out against the mother of his child, both before and after she ended their relationship.

During a June 9 Sheffield Crown Court sentencing hearing, Judge David Dixon told Green: “You were in a relationship with a woman for some time. It sounds like it was a truly awful situation for her. It seems she tried to help you, and you rewarded that help by belittling her, by abusing her, and worse.”

Describing the first incident of violence Green was to be sentenced for relating to an incident on October 10, 2020, Judge Dixon continued: “You had to get to court, she offered to help you with a lift. She was driving the vehicle with your child in it. You started an argument.

“During the course of that, you struck her with such ferocity, with such force, that not only did you hit her arm, but it snapped and broke – so much so – that she could hear it, all while she was in charge of the car. It doesn’t take a genius to realise the risk to your child, to her, to you.”

Following the attack, the complainant told Green to get out, dropped their new-born daughter off with a friend, and went to the hospital. An X-Ray confirmed she had broken her arm, the court heard.

Green strangled the complainant when he discovered she was preparing to leave him

Prosecuting barrister, Matthew Burdon, said the woman – the complainant – told doctors she sustained the injury when a dog ‘jumped up on her’.

Mr Burdon said the complainant spent around eight years in a relationship with Green, now aged 29, and has described how he had issues with ‘anger management and jealousy’ for much of that time, and would ‘frequently question her movements’.

The complainant separated from Green in 2019, but a short time later, she discovered she was pregnant ‘and the relationship continued after she gave birth,’ Mr Burdon told the court.

In March 2022, the complainant ‘finally decided’ to leave Green and ‘started to gradually move her clothes out of the shared address,’ Mr Burdon said.

He continued: “It was her intention to leave when the time was right, but the defendant realised what was happening, and confronted her. He grabbed her by the throat, causing her to struggle to breathe, but she was not knocked unconscious.”

The final spate of abuse Green subjected the complainant to took place on August 8, 2022, after which she reported him to the police.

Summarising his actions on that date, Judge Dixon continued: “She managed to leave, and then you burst into her new place, and you made further threats to her. You threw her against the dog cage, you knelt on her chest and pulled down her trousers – or lower garments.”

He continued: “You threatened to kill yourself, producing a blade, but then you threatened to ‘shove it up her’…imagine the fear she felt hearing you intended to place a knife inside her, as you knelt on her…it must have been utterly terrifying for her.

“You knew she managed to summon her friend. You barricaded the door. She tried to escape, you dragged her back, and bit her – the behaviour of a horrible person.”

Green, of Derwent Road, Rotherham was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, offences of inflicting grievous bodily harm, common assault and threatening with a bladed article in a private place at an earlier hearing.

‘I still live in fear of him’

In a statement read to the court, the complainant outlined both the ‘fear and anguish’ she felt when she was abused by Green, and the pervasive way in which it continues to intrude upon her life, explaining that her doctor has diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder.

She said: “I’m still in fear of Nathan, I’m always looking around for him when I’m out, such is the impact. He was violent towards me throughout that eight years [we were together].”

The complainant said the police were called in relation to incidents of violence he subjected her to in 2015 and 2016 but she refused to provide a statement to the police.

“This was the last straw,” she said, adding: “I still get in my car and lock the door straight away. I still live in fear of him, what he said still affects me. It’s as if I’m still in an abusive relationship.”

Defending, Rebecca Tanner, said the 26 days Green spent in prison on remand between his arrest on August 13, 2022 and his subsequent release on September 7, 2022 had been an ‘unpleasant experience’ and had set about a change in his behaviour and a willingness to seek help for his mental health problems.

In addition, Ms Tanner said Green had stopped self-medicating with cannabis, after realising that instead of curbing his anger, it exacerbated it.

She added: “While he doesn’t accept every aspect of the prosecution case, he has demonstrated [acceptance of his] guilt, he has demonstrated regret. He realises now that he simply lost his head. He was in a bad place, mentally, Your Honour has read about his mental health difficulties.”

Judge Dixon said that while he had taken Green’s mitigation into account, along with his guilty pleas, he did not agree with Ms Tanner’s assertion that Green could dealt with through a suspended sentence.

He added that, in his view, the sentencing powers available to him – through the guidelines for the offences Green was charged with – would not ‘allow’ him to pass a ‘sufficient’ sentence.

In addition to jailing Green for 49 months, Judge Dixon also granted a 15-year restraining order to protect the complainant.

*IDAS is the largest specialist charity in the North supporting people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. Their helplines are available 7 days a week, their secure online referral form goes straight to their referral teams and their live chat is available daily. Call them on: 0808 808 2241; email [email protected] or visit their website here: https://idas.org.uk/