A man knelt on his partner’s body with such force that he broke her rib leading her to finally leave him after five years of turmoil. Daniel Grannel, 33, subjected his partner to incessant coercive and controlling behaviour between January 2017 and June 2022.
Grannel, who appeared at Cardiff Crown Court for sentencing following a trial in which a jury found him guilty of coercive and controlling behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, became “jealous and possessive” of his partner, prosecutor Ross McQuillan-Johnson explained.
The court heard how their relationship had initially been positive but began deteriorating at the start of 2017 after which Grannel began to control her social media use, criticised her appearance daily, often referred to her as 'Shrek', criticised her clothes, and told her when she could wash.
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On June 22, 2022, after an afternoon spent drinking with friends and neighbours, Grannel and his partner returned to their house at Feering Street in Newport when Grannel accused her of sharing a cigarette with another man. “You accused her of being unfaithful,” Recorder Simon Hughes told Grannel in the dock.
“You poked her in the chest while you were both arguing and you said you would confront the man. You lost your temper, stood up, and kicked her so hard that she fell from the settee. You grabbed her by the hair and pulled her.
“The complainant made her way towards the door to leave and you tackled her to the ground. You knelt on her with such force that it caused her rib to crack.” Mr McQuillan-Johnson described the defendant’s behaviour as a “prolonged attack”.
Despite the harrowing experience the court heard how Grannel’s partner walked him to work the next morning and said goodbye to him before he started his shift. “That is where the relationship ended,” Recorder Hughes said.
The court heard how Grannel has three previous convictions – one for assaulting his uncle and others in 2021 for dangerous driving and drink-driving in Asda car park in Pillgwenlly in Newport where he drove at his partner before crashing into a trolley bay in front of horrified shoppers. Luckily no-one was injured in the incident and Grannel was given a two-year community order.
Paul Hewitt, for Grannel, submitted that Recorder Hughes could consider suspending his client’s sentence to help him progress his rehabilitation activity. “He has a place to live and a place to work. He is a mechanic. In fact he is actually a manager of a mechanic shop,” Mr Hewitt said. “There are realistic alternatives [to immediate custody] here. He has been active in custody [for seven months] and has completed courses that he has seen benefit from.”
Recorder Hughes told Grannel he had not been persuaded to suspend his sentence. Grannel was sentenced to 21 months in prison and was given a 10-year restraining order preventing him from approaching his ex-partner in any form.
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