Yarm, England – A man named Jordan Kelly has been sentenced to four years in prison for carrying out a violent attack on his ex-girlfriend’s new partner, a court in Teesside heard. The incident took place at a block of flats in Yarm, where Kelly’s ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend resided. The court was informed that Kelly, who was intoxicated and armed with a knife, went into a furious rage, making threats of death, and physically assaulting the man by punching and biting him.
Kelly, 23, confessed to charges of assault causing actual bodily harm. According to prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw, Kelly and the woman had been in a relationship for approximately seven years before it ended in July 2023. Wardlaw described the relationship as controlling and mentally abusive, detailing how Kelly would threaten the woman with a knife in bed if she tried to leave him.
On September 8, Kelly showed up at his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend’s apartment and aggressively confronted him, even though the man had been a former friend of his. Wardlaw stated that Kelly made multiple death threats towards the couple, brandished a 10-inch blade knife against the man’s throat, and proceeded to physically attack him, including biting his arm and attempting to bite his face. Kelly’s words indicated a mindset of “If I can’t have her, no one can.”
Following his arrest, Kelly resisted law enforcement officers, pushing one against a wall and attempting to kick him. Wardlaw described Kelly as being consumed by rage throughout the altercation, necessitating the use of a chemical spray to subdue him. Kelly even made threats of stabbing the victims while at the hospital, portraying his intentions to instill fear and commit serious harm.
The male victim expressed genuine fear for his life, mentioning that he suffered injuries preventing him from seeing out of one eye for three weeks. Kelly’s ex-partner revealed that she lived in constant fear of his obsession with her. During the court proceedings, Kelly displayed disrespectful behavior, rolling his eyes, shaking his head, and smirking during the reading of victim statements via video link from HMP Durham.
In addition to a four-year prison sentence, Kelly admitted to charges of affray, assault, possession of a bladed weapon, assaulting an emergency worker, and making threats to kill. Recorder Melly KC characterized the attack as prolonged and persistent, involving a highly dangerous weapon. An indefinite restraining order was issued on behalf of both victims for their protection.