A JEALOUS husband who kneed his pregnant ex-partner in the belly during an eight-year long campaign of violent abuse has been jailed.

Alexander Hooks, of Cedar Grove, Winsford, also stamped on Jessica Hooks' head while she lay trapped between her bed and the wall, punched her in the face and tore out clumps of her hair.

The 32-year-old also spat at her, called her a ‘fat c***’ and a ‘f***ing sweat’, and launched a heavy candle at her across her kitchen.

Hooks appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, May 30, to be sentenced for three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm between September 2021 and June 2022, and one count of intimidating a witness – his victim – between December 2022 February 2023.

The court heard the abuse began in 2015, even before the couple were married in 2016.

Hooks has previous convictions for assaulting Jessica, who grew up in Leftwich, in 2015, 2016, and 2020, for which he was handed community orders.

During one such attack in 2016, he kneed her in the belly while she was pregant with their son, who is now six. 

According to the victim impact statement – which Jessica read out in court – Hooks, when drunk and on cocaine, would regularly accuse her of having sex with dozens of other men, rack-up drug debts which she paid for him, and use her bank account for online gambling.

The couple separated around 2020 before later seeing each other again, but his abusive behaviour quickly returned.  

Prosecuting, James Coutts played two videos to the court, made by the victim, in which Hooks can be heard spitting at her and calling her a ‘fat c***’, before launching a candle across the room, then lunging at her, before collapsing on the floor drunk.

In her impact statement, Jessica described the campaign of abuse, saying she had been bitten, kicked, had her hair pulled out, been called ‘disgusting’, ‘worthless’ and told ‘no one else would want her’.

She said he had made her scared to talk to any man – even the postman – and made her have an app on her phone to track her movement.  

Jessica added she'd even lied to her mum about having Covid, just to avoid having to explain her bruises.

Defending, Ryan Rothwell reminded the court Hooks was being sentenced for three counts of assault, not the content of the victim impact statement.

He said: “All the injuries on these particular occasions could be characterised as bruising of varying severity.”

Hooks had never displayed behaviour of this kind against any current or previous partner, Mr Rothwell said, further claiming the abuse was the result of a toxic relationship in which both parties’ behaviour had been a factor.  

He also said the psychological damage the victim referred to in her impact statement should be ‘considered very carefully’.

Mr Rothwell concluded by telling the court Hooks had found his time on remand a positive experience, as it had allowed him ‘get clean’ and reflect on his actions.

Hooks, who had pleaded guilty to all charges, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for the three assaults.

He received a further eight months for intimidating a witness, to be served consecutively, making a total of four years.

Passing sentence, Recorder Peter Horgan said: “I believe the video we saw is indicative of the kind of behaviour you have displayed toward your victim over a long time."

He said the abuse was ‘persistent’, and took place at her own home, where she should have felt safe.

He added: “There can be no doubt your violent acts towards her have had a significant and ongoing impact on her psychological health.

“But at least you have had the good sense to plead guilty and receive credit for your pleas.”

The judge also imposed a restraining order on him, stopping him from going near his ex or her home for a period of 10 years.