A man known as “Nicky Chicken” has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for a series of assaults on his partner. Nicholas Lewis subjected his partner to various forms of abuse, including throttling her, stealing her money, damaging her property, and making threats. Swansea Crown Court heard that Lewis has a history of violence, with 99 previous offences on record, including an attack on a previous partner that involved hitting her with a spade.
The court was told that Lewis, 39, assaulted his partner multiple times in June this year, involving grabbing, pushing, and slapping her. One of the assaults saw him squeezing her throat for around seven seconds while shouting at her. He also smashed up his partner’s ornaments and threatened her friends with a bread knife. Despite being arrested and released on bail with a no-contact order, Lewis continued to assault his partner, demanding her friendship ring at one point and then physically attacking her outside her house on another occasion.
In another disturbing incident on July 23, a witness saw Lewis giving an axe to someone on the street, prompting a call to the police. Lewis pleaded guilty to charges of strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault by beating, criminal damage, theft, and possession of an offensive weapon (the axe). His defence cited his troubled childhood and drug addiction as contributing factors to his criminal behaviour.
Despite Lewis showing remorse through his guilty pleas, Judge Paul Thomas KC highlighted the seriousness of the repeated assaults and threats Lewis inflicted on his partner. The judge sentenced Lewis to 33 months in prison, with an additional activation of a previously suspended six-month sentence, making a total of 39 months. The court emphasized the importance of seeking support for victims of abuse through various helplines and organizations.
In a climate where cases of domestic violence are unfortunately not uncommon, it’s crucial for individuals to recognize the signs of abuse and seek help if needed. The court’s decision to impose a substantial prison sentence on Lewis sends a strong message about the consequences of such violent behaviour. The hope is that by holding perpetrators like Lewis accountable, it will deter others from perpetrating similar acts of abuse in the future.