Vicious attacker loses appeal (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Widnes man fails to get his prison sentence cut

6:10pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in News By World reporter

A JEALOUS lover caged for a brutal assault on his girlfriend has failed to get his prison sentence reduced.

Anthony James Hambleton, aged 33, was jailed for three-and-a-half years at Warrington Crown Court last August after admitting assault, occasioning actual bodily harm.

The vicious attack left his girlfriend with two black eyes.

Hambleton, of Dunsford, Widnes, appealed but his case was rejected by the the Court of Appeal in London last Tuesday by three senior judges.

Mr Justice Irwin, sitting with Lady Justice Hallett and Mr Justice Nicol, said Hambleton had a history of domestic violence, which made his crime more serious.

In January 2009, "controlling and physically violent" Hambleton had been locked up for an assault on his sister, the appeal judge said.

While in prison, he was visited regularly by his partner, Melanie Houghton, but he gradually became more and more suspicious of what she was doing while he was locked up.

He was released on April 8 and went to live with his mother. Wiithin days he had launched a brutal and sustained assault on Miss Houghton.

A witness described seeing him standing over her in Hough Green Road, Widnes, delivering repeated kicks to her while she screamed out.

Hambleton dragged her body from the road to a footpath, but then walked off without helping or calling for medical assistance.

His lawyers argued that the three-and-a-half year sentence was "manifestly excessive", because the offence was not the most serious of ABH offences.

Giving the judgment, Mr Justice Irwin said: "This was rooted, controlling, violent behaviour in a domestic setting by someone with a really poor general record and a truly dreadful record for the same offence."

His appeal was dismissed.