Bradford Allen, 52, of Norman Road in Seacombe, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on June 23 for making threats to kill and wounding with intent after a brutal attack on his girlfriend in the early hours of March 23 this year. The victim, who has chosen to remain anonymous, suffered a broken leg and an eight-week concussion after Allen struck her with a baseball bat.
Attack Details
The woman, who had been in a relationship with Allen for about 12 months after meeting on Facebook, said she woke up to find him sitting next to her, threatening to kill her and then himself. She recalled: 'I remember him hitting me and then I just went numb, my body just shut down. He hit me in the head with a baseball bat and then the rest of my body.' She tried to block the blows with her arms, but he continued. After the attack, Allen asked for a hug and said sorry, which she felt compelled to do out of fear.
Allen then called paramedics, claiming she had been jumped. When paramedics arrived, the victim told them what had happened. She sustained two large lacerations to her head, a concussion that lasted eight weeks, and a broken leg that required a metal plate to hold the bones together. Distressing photos show large black bruises on her arms and legs, and blood across her face.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Allen was sentenced to seven years in prison with an additional three years on licence. The judge also issued an indefinite restraining order prohibiting Allen from contacting the victim and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the baseball bat. The victim bravely decided to speak out about the abuse to highlight the physical and mental damage caused by someone who was supposed to love her. She noted that three weeks before the attack, the relationship had deteriorated, and she had planned to break up with him, but he bombarded her with messages, leading her to visit him the day before the attack.
