Man broke ex-partner's jaw in front of their crying baby daughter

He told her to tell medics she had ben 'accidentally elbowed' on a night out

A father with a history of serious violence against women broke his then partner’s jaw with a single punch after grabbing their baby daughter from her arms. Nottingham Crown Court heard how Daley Oldham then refused to take her to hospital until she agreed to his story to tell medics that she had received the fracture having “accidentally been elbowed” while on a night out.

At the time the victim, who has two children with the 38-year-old defendant, had no idea he had a history of serious violence against ex-girlfriends as he had not told her about his previous convictions. And he will only now be released from jail when the parole board deem him to no longer be a danger to the public.

Handing Oldham a two-year and three-month prison term, Judge Steven Coupland said: “Your relationship quickly became toxic and you had an element of control about you, refusing to let her have a smartphone. You then resorted to what you know - violence.

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“Despite her having a child in her arms at the time you took the child off her and punched her so hard you broke her jaw. She was then not allowed to seek medical help until she agreed to tell the lie you had told her which was that you had not caused it. Even now she still suffers ongoing physical problems but there is an emotional impact just as much.

“She felt worthless, anxious and frightened of you and no-one should have to live with that fear.” Thomas Welshman, prosecuting, said in 2007 Oldham, of no fixed address, was handed what is called a sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) for assaulting a former partner in 2006.

Those were sentences that were used in England and Wales to detain people who were considered dangerous but didn't deserve a life sentence. Under their terms, offenders could remain in prison for an unlimited period until a parole board decided they were no longer a threat to the public.

The IPP sentence was abolished in 2012, but the abolition did not apply retroactively and more than 1,000 people still have them.

Mr Welshman said the victim began a relationship with the defendant in Derby and they had two daughters together and while together lived in Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield. He said the assault happened when they were in Sheffield in 2015 but it was not until 2018 that matters came to the attention of the police when he was caught trying to break into her then Nottingham home and arrested.

She then initially withdrew from fear but reengaged with Nottinghamshire Police in 2022.

The prosecutor said: “He grabbed the baby out of her arms and punched her to the face. The baby was crying and two other children were in the room. He then told her to tell the doctors she had been elbowed by someone while on a night out.”

The defendant pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm on the second day of his trial at Stoke Crown Court in June of this year. As well as the jail sentence, the judge handed Oldham a lifetime restraining order not to contact the victim.

Stefan Fox, mitigating, said: “The reality is that he will not be released from prison until the parole board is satisfied he is no longer a danger to the public.”