Belfast man jailed for forcing ex-partner's head into bath water

Sentencing Paul Knell for two offences arising from an early morning incident which occurred in Dundonald last June, Judge Gordon Kerr spoke of the “horrifying experience” for the young woman he attacked.

Knell, from Inverleith Drive in Belfast, admitted choking the woman with intent to commit an assault, and also of assaulting the mother of his child, in the early hours of June 28 last year.

Belfast Crown Court heard that during the incident, Knell half filled a bath with water and pushed his ex-partner’s head under the water on several occasions.

While the woman claims Knell attacked her after she refused to have sex with him, he admits the assault but disputes how the argument started.

The labourer was handed a two-year sentence, half of which will be spent in prison with the remainder on supervised licence upon his release.

Knell also had six months added to his sentence after Judge Kerr activated suspended sentences he breached when he attacked the woman.

Prior to sentencing, Belfast Crown Court heard that the assault ocurred at the woman’s Dundonald home.

Knell had been babysitting their young son. When she returned home Knell left – but he returned to her house later after consuming alcohol.

Prosecuting barrister Ted Magill said a “confrontation” between the two occurred, and that during this argument Knell became violent.

This violence, the prosecutor said, included grabbing her by the neck from behind which caused her to fall.

After filling half the bath with water, Knell then dragged her into the bathroom before “forcing her head under the water a number of times”.

Mr Magill said this resulted in her struggling to breathe, and when she was able to get to her feet, Knell lost his grip on her.

After attacking the woman, Knell took their infant son from the house and went to his mother’s.

When he was arrested, Knell told officers he had been drinking, then gave a largely ‘no comment’ interview.

Mr Magill told the court it was clear Knell was “under the influence of drink and drugs”.

The prosecutor also said that Knell had previous convictions for assaulting the same woman.

Defence barrister Denis Boyd said that while his client accepted the offences, he disputed how and why the argument broke out.

Saying Knell “genuinely regretted” his behaviour, Mr Boyd said it was Knell’s case that he dunked the woman’s head under the water twice, and there was “no effort to keep her head under the water”.

Mr Boyd told Judge Kerr that Knell “knows what he did was wrong”, has accepted he has anger management issues and also knows the relationship with the woman is “totally finished”.

The defence barrister also revealed that Knell – who has been in custody since last summer – is “making great efforts to stay on the straight and narrow”.

Judge Kerr said he accepted that Knell was making an effort in custody, noting he had passed four separate drugs tests.

The judge did, however, note Knell’s previous assaults against the same woman, branding last June’s incident as a “horrifying experience for her”.