Northants man jailed for 30 months for assault on former partner which left her ‘fearing for her life’

A Northamptonshire man has been jailed for 30 months for an assault on his former partner which left her with “genuine fear for her life”.

Lewis Bland, aged 34 and from Brackley, assaulted his ex-partner as she lay asleep in bed.

Bland attacked the woman at a property in Helene Close in the early hours of September 11, 2023.

Northamptonshire Police had been called to the couple’s home a week previously after Bland became violent towards the woman for the first time – which led to the end of their relationship.

Then, on the evening of September 10 last year, the woman returned from a work trip to find Bland in their shared flat and felt unable to ask him to leave as they were both still named on the lease.

In the early hours of the following morning (September 11), the woman awoke to find Bland in her room, pinning her to the bed and pinching her nose while holding his other hand over her mouth.

She fought him off and escaped to her en-suite, where she 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.

The victim was eventually able to escape to a neighbour’s home, who called the police while Bland fled the scene.

Following the attack, Bland was arrested and went on to be charged with attempted murder. He denied this charge at his initial crown court hearing on October 25, 2023.

His trial began at Northampton Crown Court on January 29 this year and a not guilty verdict was returned on his attempted murder charge on February 1. Instead, the jury found Bland guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

On March 14, Bland returned to the same court and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. He was also issued an eight-year restraining order, preventing him from having contact with the victim.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Stacey Hill, of the 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 when she woke to find him attacking her, and in supporting our investigation all the way to trial, has resulted in Bland rightly being sent to jail.

“Tackling violence against women and girls is a matter of priority for Northamptonshire Police.

“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 – we will listen and do all we can to bring the person responsible to justice.”

Non-emergency crimes can be reported to 101 or online here. You can also find support and advice online here, including how to make a disclosure application under Clare’s Law.