A York man has been jailed for a brutal attack on his partner who suffered a bleed on the brain, broken bones and a partially collapsed lung after being strangled, punched repeatedly and threatened with a knife.
Matthew Ambler, 36, launched the vicious, drug-fuelled attack at the former couple’s flat in York which left the victim with a broken nose, fractured rib and a haematoma at the front of her skull.
York Crown Court heard that Ambler, a former bricklayer, had smoked “six pipes’ worth” of crack cocaine before the ferocious attack.
Prosecutor Brooke Morrison said the incident occurred on the evening of 13 August last year when, out of nowhere, Ambler’s “mood changed” and he started accusing his partner of sleeping with other men.
The victim tried to get out of the bedroom, but Ambler blocked her escape at the doorway, then pushed her onto a sofa in the living room.
He then pulled out a Swiss Army knife and came towards her, but said he “wouldn’t use it on her, but cut himself instead”.
He then punched her to the ribs, straddled her and grabbed her by the throat, pressing his hand on her windpipe until she was struggling to breathe.
“He then punched her in the nose, causing it to bleed,” said Ms Morrison.
He pushed her to the floor and punched her in the head, before “storming” back into the bedroom.
Ambler pretended to be asleep as the victim took her chance to escape from the flat, but as she did so, he “called her back, insisting they would sort it out and he wouldn’t hit her”.
However, when the victim returned, he began “throwing her around” and hurling abuse at her.
Covered in blood and suffering from broken bones, she told him she needed to go to hospital and Amber agreed to walk her to York Hospital A&E.
When they reached the hospital car park, they were spotted by a nurse who noticed that the victim was “distressed, crying” and had blood on her face and neck.
When the victim told her she had been “beaten up by her partner”, Ambler ran towards her but then retreated when the nurse called paramedics.
More violence
After leaving hospital, the victim returned to her flat where Ambler resumed the violence, punching her in the head with enough force to knock her to the floor. He then struck her twice more while she was lying helpless on the ground.
Police were called out and arrested Ambler at the scene while the victim was given medical attention.
She suffered a deep cut to her forehead, a partially collapsed lung, a fractured rib and there was a build-up of blood around the front of her skull.
Ambler, of Lowther Street in The Groves area, was charged with intentional strangulation, causing grievous bodily harm and threatening the victim with a knife.
He initially denied the allegations, only to plead guilty to all matters on the day his trial was due to be held.
He appeared for sentence via prison-to-court video link today (24 February) after being remanded in custody.
‘I can’t trust another man’
In a victim statement read out by the prosecution, Ambler’s now-ex partner said she had been “really affected emotionally” by the prolonged attack.
She had since struggled to sleep and said her “sense of self-worth” was now “non-existent”.
“I thought Matthew was a decent man, but it has turned out anything but that,” she added.
“Now I don’t think I can trust another man and get into another romantic relationship.”
Ambler had previous convictions for eight offences including violence, robbery and public disorder. In March last year, he breached a domestic-violence-protection order imposed by the courts to protect the victim.
Defence barrister Lily Wildman said that Ambler’s temper, exacerbated by drug and alcohol abuse, was the “trigger” for his violence but he had since got himself clean while on remand.
Judge Timothy Clayson condemned Ambler for the “protracted”, drug-fuelled attack and said the victim statement made for “sad reading”.
Ambler was jailed for three years and seven months but was told he would only serve half of that behind bars, minus the time he had already spent on remand, before being released on prison licence.
The judge also made a five-year restraining order banning Ambler from contacting the victim.
