Man, 28, convicted of domestic abuse offences
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A 28-year-old man has been convicted of three domestic abuse offences following a trial which concluded last week (December 16).
Ryan John Smith, formerly of Daventry, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage and one count of assault, however took the final charge – that of sexual assault, to a trial.
He was found guilty of that too by a jury after just 40 minutes of deliberation.
On June 5 this year, Smith assaulted a woman after headbutting, strangling and punching her inside a Daventry address following a night out. As she tried to leave the house, Smith grabbed her to try and stop her, ripping a chain from around her neck in the process.
He then threw her to the floor, stood over her and repeatedly punched her before then proceeding to sexually assault her while she screamed for him to stop.
The attack left the woman with two black eyes, a fractured toe and extensive bruising to her body.
She bravely reported the incident to police and Smith was charged with the three offences.
At Northampton Crown Court on Friday, he was convicted of all three and will be sentenced on February 16 next year.
Lead Investigator – DC Gina Anderson from the Force’s Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I am so proud of the survivor in this case who stood up in court to give evidence against Ryan Smith and did so with courage, confidence and dignity.
“She should be rightly proud of the result and I hope it provides her with the closure she needs to move on from this awful experience and onto brighter things.
“Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for Northamptonshire Police and all of us in the Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit are passionate about bringing offenders to justice and providing victims with the care, support and listening ear they need to get away from the person causing them harm.
“I hope that this determination is demonstrated through this case and I know the team will continue working hard over the Christmas period and beyond to both enforce and safeguard.”
