A man has been convicted of twice assaulting his girlfriend – after he denied the allegations, claiming she’d suffered injuries during sexual intercourse.
‘Uncomplient’ Jake Wheeler, 34, will spend the next three weeks in prison ahead of sentencing at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court, after failing to attend his trial and a previous hearing.
Keith Ballinger said the defendant, of The Old Manor, in Bradenstoke near Lyneham, pinned down his victim – who he was in a relationship with at the time – before attacking her on 3 July 2021.
During the incident, he strangled her before biting her face and arm. Sometime later, he carried out a second assault – this time strangling her more forcefully than the first.
The woman was left with bite marks and bruising to her neck, and in a statement, she said that she “struggled to breathe” during the second assault.
In an interview with police following his arrest, Wheeler claimed that his victim suffered her injuries as a result of “rough consensual sex”, Mr Ballinger told the court.
But earlier this year, at a trial the defendant did not attend, he was found guilty of two counts of assault by beating. Wheeler then failed to comply with a court order to complete a pre-sentence report and did not turn up for sentencing on Thursday (19 April).
As a result, a warrant was issued for his arrest – for the second time in these proceedings – and he was brought before Swindon Magistrates’ Court via video link from Gablecross custody.
Mark Glendenning, defending, asked the court to allow him one last chance to complete the pre-sentence report and attend the next hearing.
Telling him that he has shown a “lack of compliance with court orders”, the magistrates remanded him into custody until his sentencing hearing on 12 May.
In response, Wheeler – who has never been to prison – muttered “great” and placed his head in his hands. He went on to say “f**k sake”.
