Man jailed for domestic-related violence in Southampton

A man has been jailed for two years after he assaulted his partner in domestic-related incidents in Southampton.

Liam O’Hara, 32, of Guernsey Close, Southampton, assaulted the victim – a woman in her 30s – causing her injuries to her fingers after he crushed them in a front door.

She was also left with a laceration to the side of her head after he hit her with a vacuum cleaner. Both incidents took place between 1 December 2020 and 30 June 2021.

O’Hara was arrested after officers were called to the Travelodge in Farnborough on 10 June this year following a report of a domestic incident.

During his arrest, he became violent and assaulted a police officer.

Following O’Hara’s arrest, the woman disclosed the previous incidents of assaults and he was charged with two counts of assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm and assault by beating of an emergency worker.

O’Hara denied the offences but was convicted following a trial at Winchester Crown Court. He was jailed for two years on Friday 22 November.

Detective Constable Luke Kedge said: “O’Hara is a violent individual whose behaviour had a huge impact on a woman he was in a relationship with. She suffers with frequent nightmares following the abuse she was subjected to.

“The victim showed great courage in supporting a prosecution and continued to work with police and CPS to ensure a violent domestic abuser is in prison.

“I am extremely grateful for the evidence she provided and I hope seeing O’Hara put behind bars will bring her some form of closure.

“No one – whether that be a woman, a man or a child – should ever be subjected to domestic abuse within an environment that they perceive to be a safe space.

“We understand that it is not always easy to report incidents of this nature to us, especially when you have to re-live any trauma faced at the hands of an abuser, but we encourage victims to come forward and report incidents to us.

“We are absolutely clear that we do not tolerate any form of domestic abuse or violence at all. Individuals who are intending to behave in this way and commit these offences will be found and stopped.”

If you are being abused, or you know someone that is, please call 101 and report it to police, or make a report online via the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website. If it is an emergency, dial 999 immediately.

You can find out more details about how to report domestic abuse via our website: How to report domestic abuse | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary