Ex-soldier 'kicked partner's head like a football' - but avoids immediate jail term

Shrewsbury Crown Court was told that Keiran Joyce, aged 37, of Meadow Road, Dawley, Telford, had 'anger issues' that had been triggered by events going back to his childhood.

A judge told Joyce that he had behaved in a "disgraceful manner" in the brutal attack on the woman when he "kicked her head like a football" in Bridgnorth in October last year.

Prosecutor Rob Edwards told the sentencing hearing on Friday that Joyce and the woman had tried to rebuild their relationship but she learned that he was also with another woman.

"They started to have issues when she discovered he had been with another lady and was having a child," he said.

Mr Edwards said Joyce, a friend and the woman had been together in a car which went into "limp mode" and stopped.

"This annoyed the defendant and he was stressed by this but his victim said he was not angry or aggressive at this point," said Mr Edwards.

But when they arrived at an address in Bridgnorth they began 'bickering' and he "slapped her in the face with an open palm".

He left but sometime later he began banging on the door and demanding to be let back in, which he was.

The court was told that she ended up on the ground and Joyce began "kicking her to the head with full force as if he had been kicking a football".

Hurt, she ran to a neighbour with injuries to her face, swelling to her right eye and blood stains. Police were called, arrested him and Joyce responded with "no comment" in interviews.

The prosecutor said that Joyce's baby was also present during the attack, which had taken place in a domestic context.

The court was told that Joyce has a number of other convictions and a long prison sentence, including for affray, battery, robbery and attempted robbery.