Man who assaulted, threatened and harassed partner is jailed

Nathan Grant (Credit: Derbyshire Police)

A man who assaulted, threatened and harassed his partner has been jailed.

Nathan Grant was on licence having been released from prison for a previous violent offence when he committed the offences against the woman.

Police were called after Grant assaulted the woman by punching her in the ribs, arms and legs before grabbing her by the throat and squeezing until she couldn’t breathe.

She was left with a broken arm and afterwards Grant made comments to her over the phone saying ‘I won’t stop until one of us is dead’ and ‘I’m going to put you in a body bag’.

The woman then disclosed a number of other assaults to police including one occasion where he bit her on the nose. Grant was also controlling towards her throughout the relationship.

Even after the relationship ended, he continued trying to contact her, including going to her home.

In a victim impact statement, the woman described the impact that Grant’s behaviour has had on her, saying: “My relationship with Nathan and all the incidents that have happened have affected me in many ways, both physically and mentally.

“I often think about what happened and wonder why I deserved to be treated like that. The way Nathan treated me made me feel like I was not good enough.

“I could not understand why he would treat me the way he did so I started to believe that it was normal and that I deserved to be treated like that.

“The relationship was a whirlwind, no matter what I was doing it was not good enough for him, he would constantly name call me and put me down.

“This has now affected my confidence as I feel like I hate myself. I do not feel like I will ever be able to rebuild my confidence and go and meet someone new.

“I feel like I am still constantly looking over my shoulder and living in fear.

“I feel like I am having to build myself back up. I am definitely not there yet and I am not the person I was before my relationship with Nathan. I feel like the relationship has changed me and I don’t feel like I will ever be the person I was before.”

Grant was arrested the following day in Nottinghamshire and subsequently charged.

The 33-year-old, of Collingwood Road, Long Eaton, was remanded in custody and appeared at Derby Crown Court on 13th April when he admitted two counts of intentional strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour.

He appeared at the same court for sentence on 20 July where he was jailed for four years and nine months with a three-year extended sentence for dangerousness.

He was also handed a restraining order banning him from having any contact with the woman.

Detective Staff Investigator Lucy Taylor, who led the investigation, said: “Grant is clearly a man with a violent temper who did not see the error of his ways despite serving a prison sentence.

“The abuse he inflicted on this woman has impacted on her life in many ways and will continue to do so for some time to come.

“I can only imagine how terrified she must have been and how difficult it would have been for her to tell someone what was happening to her.

“However, she has shown incredible courage to report him and throughout this process and I am grateful for her support as we worked to bring him to justice.

“Grant is now back behind bars and I hope that this prison sentence will give him the time to reflect on his behaviour and change his ways for the future.

“I’d encourage anyone who is experiencing any kind of domestic abuse to please come forward and report it. We will listen without judgement and support you throughout.”

If you’re a victim of domestic abuse, or know someone who is, there are a number of ways you can report your concerns:

• Call the non-emergency number 101.
• Website – There are crime reporting tools at www.derbyshire.police.uk/
• Facebook – send a private message to the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page
• X (Twitter) – direct message the contact centre via @DerPolContact

In an emergency, where someone is in danger right now, call 999.

If you’re not ready to report to the police, please reach out for support. There are a number of organisations who can help. Please visit Support organisations for victims of domestic violence | Derbyshire Constabulary for more details.