No jail for man who launched 'vile' attack on partner in Newport street

Dylan McGrath, of Woodlands Avenue, Wellington, Telford, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court after admitting two charges.

The 26-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to one charge of causing actual bodily harm, and another of common assault.

Giles Pengelly, prosecuting, said that the charges related to incidents on the evening of May 18, 2025.

McGrath had gone to a nightclub in Stafford with his partner and others.

Mr Pengelly said that before leaving McGrath had been seen by one of those present to kick her in the back.

Then later while at Casa nightclub in Stafford the court heard that McGrath had punched another man.

McGrath then got in a taxi to return home with his partner and was described as having bit her on the thigh, slapped her, and pulled her hair while in the vehicle.

Mr Pengelly then told of how the violence escalated when the taxi stopped to drop the couple off on Newport’s High Street.

The court was told the victim had tried to run from the taxi and was chased into an alley by McGrath.

He launched into a violent attack, again biting his victim and taking a “running” kick at the back of her legs.

Mr Pengelly said that McGrath had continued to beat his victim in a doorway before pulling her to the ground by her hair.

The victim told police she thought her “neck would snap”

The court was told that one witness had seen McGrath place the woman in a headlock before forcing her to the floor and kicking her “viciously”.

Another witness saw the woman on the ground being beaten and placed himself between the pair to put an end to the violence.

When police arrived McGrath fled the scene and jumped a fence before being caught in the grounds of a school.

Rosemary Proctor, mitigating, said: “There is very little I can say about the offences that will help Mr McGrath.”

She told the court the was “extremely drunk” at the time of the incident.

She added: “He is genuinely shocked at his behaviour and he is genuinely remorseful for it.”

Miss Proctor said there was however “striking personal mitigation”, describing how McGrath had suffered the tragedy of his father being murdered when he was a young man.

She urged the court to suspend any sentence and give him a chance at rehabilitation.

Sentencing Judge Deni Mathews said the facts of the offences were “despicable”.

Addressing the violence visited upon his victim in the taxi Judge Mathews said: “They are the actions of an animal - to bite in that way. It is a base and peculiarly aggressive form of violence.”

He added: “That was not the end of the assault. She tried to run. She was followed. She was cornered and you assaulted her further. You bit her further and you kicked her further.”

The judge said the incident was “sustained serious and terrifying violence”.

But Judge Mathews said that “it is rare to deal with someone who has had such tragic and difficult circumstances in their life.”

Telling McGrath it had been “a vile assault” that “comfortably passes the custodial threshold”, he added: “The length of it, not just striking someone when they went to the ground, the base act of biting someone like that - it is just vile and you could have no complaints about going straight to prison.”

But, Judge taking into account the prospects for rehabilitation and McGrath’s personal mitigation he was prepared to suspend his sentence.

McGrath was sentenced to three years in prison suspended for two years.

As part of the order he must complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a six month drug rehabilitation requirement to deal with cannabis use.

McGrath was also made subject to a restraining order for 10 years.