Northampton man jailed after strangling pregnant partner and hitting her with umbrella while she held their baby

A Latvian man who repeatedly beat his partner both during her pregnancy and while she was holding her newborn has been sent to jail after failing to engage with probation because of a 'hatred' for UK authorities.

Arturs Selags appeared before Northampton Crown Court in March 2020 to admit five shocking assaults on his defenceless former partner and one of malicious communications. He was ordered to complete a 24-month community order.

But Selags, of Monk Park Road, Northampton, failed to engage with his supervision and again appeared in court charged with twice breaching the order.

A probation officer told the court that the order was 'unworkable' as the 29-year-old had continued to show a 'hostile' attitude toward probation staff based on his 'hatred for professional services in the UK'.

Appearing at Northampton Crown Court this morning (Thursday, February 18) Selags was re-sentenced for his original crimes and for both breaches.

The court heard how he the first assault took place on January 1, 2019, when he had returned at 7am from a night's drinking with a hangover and had walked to the shop with his partner, who was three-and-a-half-months pregnant. When she asked him to carry a heavy bottle for her he started swearing at her, then when they returned home he pushed her on to the sofa and started to strangle her.

In June of that year the pair had gone to register their newborn's birth. But when the baby started to cry he began to swear and slapped his partner across the face. When they returned home she sat on the bed to feed her baby and Selags grabbed her throat and started to strangle her while she was holding child. While hitting her around the face and head, he put her things in a suitcase, telling her to get out. When the baby started to cry he let her back in.

Then on July 10 he again argued with his partner after she told him she wanted to visit family in Latvia. While she was crying in a corner Selags hit her so hard with an umbrella that it broke, causing injuries to her leg. He then ran toward her carrying a kitchen knife and said she wouldn't go anywhere otherwise he would 'kill her.'

On August 27 the defendant could not sleep because he had no cannabis in the house. When the baby woke up he started to swear at his partner, beating her and hitting her head on the floor.

Prosecuting, Samuel Lowne said: "He was telling her to respect him."

The final assault took place on September 14, 2019, after he had told the victim she should 'get a job'. He began hitting her in the head and chest, pushed her on to the bed and kicked her in the stomach, before putting his hands around her neck and strangling her.

He went out to buy cigarettes then returned and as the baby cried, he hit his partner with a cardigan. He told her to prepare lunch for him and then left for work, sending her a text message that read: "I beg you before I would murder you to think about the family, how to pay bills, how to look after the house and how to love and care for a man."

She reported the incidents to a social worker and Selags was arrested and charged. Days later he sent a text to his partner telling her he was going to 'burn' her and her mother.

Mr Lowne added: "The victim was alone in this country with her family and majority of friends in Latvia.

"She'd been subject to repeated attacks by him. She was also pregnant or had just given birth when the assaults were committed by the defendant. She feared being killed."

The court heard how Selags had no previous convictions and had asked for his prison sentence to be suspended so he could return to Latvia.

Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking said: "There are no words to describe the appalling behaviour that you demonstrated towards this young woman.

"You have demonstrated nothing but contempt for the probation service and you have frankly made no realistic effort to engage. Your behaviour toward the probation officers was appalling and frankly I am surprised they kept with it for so long."

Giving him credit for his guilty plea, for having no previous convictions and noting the extra impact of Covid on prisoners, Judge Lucking sentenced Selags to a total of four months in prison. He will serve half of his sentence before being released on licence.

Judge Lucking added: "I would hope that social services in the UK will be made aware of your sentence and will communicate with social services in Latvia. I consider you pose a risk to your partner and child."