A 20-year-old man who attacked his heavily pregnant partner in the street and then dragged her into his car has been jailed.
Joel Fricker attacked his 19-year-old partner in front of her friends and then dragged her into his car as she screamed out for help.
Bystanders called the police and officers soon traced the couple.
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The victim, who was six months pregnant, then began to vomit blood.
The young woman was taken to hospital with significant injuries to her face and a bite mark to her arm .
Fricker, of Kingsbridge Court, Blackburn, was arrested on suspicion of assault. He provided no comment answers to all questions put to him in police interview.
Yesterday ( December 22) he appeared at Preston Crown Court when he was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was also handed a five year restraining order.
In an impact statement the victim said: “I don’t understand why he did this to me, but what’s more confusing is why he did this to my innocent unborn baby. I’ll never understand why, it’s something I’ll have to live with forever.”
The attack happened at around 8.30pm on the evening of November 27.
DC Gemma Anderson, of East CID, said: “The spontaneous and cowardly attack Fricker launched on his heavily pregnant victim was utterly disgraceful and left onlookers both shocked and in fear for her safety.
“I am pleased Fricker has been given a custodial sentence as he is clearly somebody who presents a danger to women by the way he behaves towards them.
“I would like to praise the victim in this case for the bravery she has shown throughout this case. I can only image the fear felt when she was being assaulted and dragged into the car by a man she thought cared for her.
“I hope her bravery - in not only supporting a conviction but then also allowing her injury photographs to be shown to highlight the seriousness of Fricker’s offending - will encourage other victims of abuse to come forward.
"They can do so knowing they will be listened to, believed and that Lancashire Police will do everything in our power to keep them safe and bring the perpetrator to justice.”
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