Matthew King has been sentenced to 38 months in prison for a brutal assault on his partner in a Cardiff hotel room, which occurred in front of their young daughter. The 47-year-old, from Spixworth, Norfolk, pleaded guilty to strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and possession of a knife.
Attack in Hotel Room
The court heard that on November 30 last year, King, his partner, and their daughter traveled to Cardiff for a work event. After an argument at a restaurant in Cardiff Bay, where King accused his partner of cheating on him with a relative, the row continued in their family hotel room. King lunged at the woman, punching her multiple times in the head and face, grabbing her hair, and kicking her in the stomach and lower back while she was on the floor. At one point, she tried to hide under the bed. King then throttled her, leaving her breathless, while verbally abusing her, calling her a “leech,” “slag,” and “slut.”
Victim Escapes and Seeks Help
The victim managed to calm King, who then asked for a cuddle. After a short time, she said she needed the toilet but instead fled to the hotel reception, where staff saw her visible injuries and called the police. She was taken to Heath Hospital, where medics found bruising around both eyes, marks on her neck, and tenderness to her lower back. CT scans showed no broken bones.
Arrest and Sentence
King was located the next day in a Cardiff Bay pub, carrying a folding knife. In his police interview, he provided a prepared statement denying any wrongdoing. Judge Recorder Hughes Hughes noted in the pre-sentence report that King engaged in “victim blaming” and “offence minimisation.”
In an impact statement read to the court, the victim said she has struggled to sleep and is supporting her daughter, who witnessed the attack. Both are seeking counselling. King has three previous convictions, including a previous assault on the same victim.
Defence barrister Jenny Yeo said the relationship was “characterised by jealousy and arguments,” and that King, a qualified welder, acknowledges alcohol is an issue and has taken steps to rehabilitate. She said the knife was a work tool.
King was sentenced to 38 months: 35 months for assault and strangulation, plus three months consecutive for the knife offence. He will serve 40% in custody before release on licence. A 10-year restraining order prohibits him from contacting the victim.
