Man jailed for ‘terrifying assault’ on ex-partner

Lewis Bland pinned his ex-partner to the bed and later wielded a knife at their flat in Brackley

A man who assaulted his ex-partner as she lay asleep in bed has been jailed for two and a half years.

Lewis Bland, 34, left the woman fearing for her life when he attacked her at a property in Brackley, Northamptonshire, in September 2023, police said.

She woke to find him covering her mouth with one hand and pinching her nose with the other, while pinning her to the bed.

Bland was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, after being cleared by a jury of attempted murder at Northampton Crown Court in February.

Northamptonshire Police praised the woman's courage and said "tackling violence against women and girls" was a matter of priority.

'Fear for her life'

The attack happened in the early hours of 11 September at the couple’s home in Helene Close.

Police had been called to the flat earlier that month after Bland had become violent towards the woman for the first time.

This led to the end of their relationship, but on 10 September the woman returned from a work trip to find Bland in their shared flat.

She did not feel able to ask him to leave as they were both named on the lease.

Later that night, the woman awoke to find Bland trying to suffocate her. She managed to escape to her en-suite, but was trapped without her phone to call for help.

When she came out, she found Bland bleeding from the legs and in possession of a knife. She escaped to a neighbour’s, who called the police.

When sentenced last month, he was also given an eight-year restraining order.

Speaking afterwards, Det Con Stacey Hill, of the force's Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit, said: "Lewis Bland subjected his former partner to an utterly terrifying assault, which left her in genuine fear for her life.

"Her courage in ending their relationship following his previous violent outburst, in fighting him off, and in supporting our investigation all the way to trial, has resulted in Bland rightly being sent to jail.

"No-one should have to live in fear of someone who claims to love them. If you are being subjected to any form of abuse, please report it to us."