‘Cocky’ thug with previous convictions avoids jail after punching pregnant woman in the face

A “cocky” thug who punched a woman who was eight weeks pregnant in the face at a house party has avoided jail.

Nathan Buckley, 27, was pictured on the steps of Bolton Crown Court after being found guilty of the attack.

The court heard Buckley attended a house party in Bolton on 22 December, 2018, after being invited by the victim, who was two months into her pregnancy at the time.

While there, the defendant was "cocky" and "rude" before punching the woman in the face and dousing her in lemonade, it was heard.

She suffered a wound to her face, fractured cheekbone and scratched cornea.

In a victim statement read in court, the woman said she was “devastated” by the assault and that it ruined Christmas as she did not want her child or family to see her injuries.

Buckley, who has a criminal record for previous assaults, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

The court heard since the incident Buckley had turned his life around, by staying out of trouble, giving up drugs, repairing family relationships and getting a job.

Judge Graeme Smith told him that the efforts he has made enabled him to suspend his prison sentence.

The court was told Buckley had been using excessive amounts of cocaine and alcohol to mask mental health issues and described his arrest for the assault as a “wake-up call”.

Judge Smith sentenced Buckley to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

He will have to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work and participate in 20 days of rehabilitation activities plus a thinking skills programme.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK News