South Bank man attacks pregnant girlfriend with bottle jailed for seven months

A South Bank man who attacked his pregnant girlfriend in the street with a bottle has been jailed.

Stephen Gibson, 22, breached a suspended prison sentence for previously harassing Natalia Watson at the end of their two-year relationship.

Police heard his threats by putting her phone on Speaker as they were taking her statement about how he had held a knife to her throat and threatened to slit it.

Then eight months later on November 10 when she was 35 weeks pregnant with his baby he chased her through the streets in central MIddlesbrough telling her: “I’ve got you now. I’m not going to let it drop for you telling the police”. Gibson flung a bottle of cooking oil at her head, covering the back of her head and clothing in oil.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court that his ex, who was out with her two-year-old boy, felt like a prisoner in her own home because of his actions.

She said in a victim impact statement: “I am in fear for my own personal safety, the safety of my son and my unborn child.

“I fear that I am a prisoner in my own home.”

Gibson had 10 convictions for 21 offences for disorderly behaviour, criminal damage and violent disorder, and there had been a history of domestic violence throughout the couple’s relationship. Last March he was given a six months jail sentence suspended for two years for harassing her.

Graham Brown, defending, said that Gibson felt that she had made false allegations to the police about him, and he claimed that he encountered her by accident in November after his mother had asked him to do some shopping for cooking oil.

Mr Brown added: “There has been no incident since November and, although the baby has now been born he has had no contact with the child, which has been his loss.

“He would say that there is a difference now in that he has come to a full stop in wanting to have contact with the complainant.”

The judge told Gibson that he knew exactly what he was doing when he carried out the attack.

The judge Recorder Ray Singh said: “At the time of committing that offence you were certainly aware that she was pregnant with your child.

“Your real difficulty is that you are a person of bad character particularly for violence.”

Gibson, of Upper Napier Street, South Bank, Middlesbrough, was jailed for seven months with £100 Victim Surcharge and given a five year restraining order banning him from contacting her after he pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm assault.