Man left partner 'limp and lifeless', court told

Sophie Conroy was attacked outside the Tesco Express store on Barnsley Road in Wakefield

A man kicked and punched his girlfriend in an attack so violent she was left lying “limp and lifeless” on the pavement, a court has heard.

Benjamin Swindells kicked Sophie Conroy’s head “like a football” outside Tesco Express on Barnsley Road in Wakefield, just after midnight on 13 April, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Local resident Ricky Arckless, who called the police, told the court he came out after hearing noise and saw Mr Swindells "towering over" Ms Conroy, who was "out cold".

Mr Swindells, 29, of no fixed address, denies attempted murder.

Mr Arckless said he heard “a loud bang, like a thud, which is a bit strange to hear at that time of night”.

He said: “I looked over and saw her on the floor. He was shouting at her and she was on the floor."

Mr Arckless said he saw Ms Conroy had no top on, and looked “lifeless” and covered in blood.

“He was just stood there, repeatedly kicking her - swinging, kicking, swinging, kicking, over and over again."

He said he did not think she would survive the attack.

“He just kept shouting at her to get up.”

The case is being heard at Leeds Crown Court

The court was shown footage from the body-worn camera of a police officer who arrived at the scene soon afterwards.

Mr Swindells was seen lying down and cradling her head between his legs, shouting and crying.

He was shouting towards Ms Conroy, saying: “I would do anything to protect you baby girl”, and shouted at police that his “missus had been assaulted”.

In a video statement played in court, Ms Conroy was seen with badly bruised eyes, an injured lip and bruising to the side of her head.

She said she had been in a relationship with Mr Swindells for more than a year, but he regularly smoked crack cocaine which made him violent and paranoid.

Ms Conroy said they had got on well before it “all went Pete Tong” when he started taking drugs.

“He started getting paranoid,” she said, adding that when he smoked crack, he “starts going on, changing my passwords, blocking people that’s male, even female - like my mum.

“I felt isolated away from my family. He would go on my phone every day, because he smoked it every day. It was just every time he smoked that."

The trial continues.

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