A man choked a mother and daughter after he was invited to their home and had to be tasered by police after arming himself with a glass bottle. He caused the victims to headbutt each other by using their hair to pull them together.
Lance Hamer, 32, had known his victims for a long time and was invited by the mother to attend the home she shared with her daughter in Blaina. He had recently lost his sister, who was a friend of the mother.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the defendant attended the house on July 13, and drank eight cans of Stella Artois and vodka, which caused him to become intoxicated. He became jealous over the mother's friendship with another man, and told her to "f*** him".
Hamer lost his temper and became aggressive, and the mother told the defendant to leave the property. Hamer refused and told the victim he loved her, before pouring a bottle of lemonade over her and spitting at her.
The mother called her daughter, who was upstairs, and she came down to assist her at around 12.30am. The defendant grabbed the mother by her hair and slammed her to the floor, causing her to hit her head and briefly lose consciousness.
Upon coming downstairs, the daughter described Hamer putting both her and her mother in a "bear hug" and "smothered them". He then pulled their hair and used it to pull their heads together, causing them to headbutt each other. The victims said they were unable to breathe and the defendant gauged the mother's eyes.
Eventually, the mother was able to get free and called for help, but Hamer grabbed the daughter by her hair and "swung" her around the living room. The daughter had already called the police, who arrived shortly later.
Officers saw Hamer was armed with a glass bottle, and he ran back into the kitchen and closed the door. He issued threats to officers as they stood outside, and they could hear him rustling the kitchen door. The defendant told officers "I'll come out swinging if you open this door". When he opened the kitchen door, he was tasered by officers and a vegetable peeler was found next to him.
Hamer, of Arail Street, Six Bells, Abertillery, later pleaded guilty to two counts of suffocation. The court heard he has previous convictions for multiple offences of battery, violent disorder, wounding and assaulting an emergency worker.
In their victim personal statements, both the mother and daughter said they had been "mentally and physically affected" by the assault, and both had suffered flashbacks and difficulty sleeping. The mother said she is looking to install security measures at her home.
In mitigation, Nigel Fryer said his client wishes to apologise to his victims and described the offence as part of his "long-standing alcohol and substance misuse" which began at the age of 14. The defendant said he has "little recollection" of the incident.
Sentencing, Recorder Celia Hughes said: "This was a truly appalling incident.... (The victims) were terrified of you in their own home, you were extremely violent.... I have real concerns about what you would do if you were not in prison."
Hamer was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment. He was also made subject to a restraining order for five years. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
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