A PREGNANT woman was strangled by her former partner six weeks before she gave birth, a court has heard.
Lewis Moiloa, of Purslane Drive, Bicester, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday (February 28) for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, two young children and a neighbour.
The 30-year-old was jailed for 25 months and made subject to a restraining order.
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Sentencing Moiloa, Judge Maria Lamb said: “This was a horrible incident, attracting the attention of a number of members of public who commendably called the police.”
Opening the case, prosecutor Kathy Oliver said in October last year, Moiloa became angry that the pregnant woman had decided to leave a pub they were at together.
“He was screaming and shouting at her,” she said. “Then, watched by four women, they saw him leap towards her and put both his hands around her throat.
“She looked shocked they said and this lasted about two seconds before a friend pulled him off her.”
The court heard that two months later, after the baby had been born, Moiloa attended her home address.
While holding the baby, he said: “Me and you are going to nanas and we’re going to leave mummy.”
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The woman tried to take her baby back and after succeeding, Moiloa punched her in the face 10 times while she was holding the child.
She managed to pass the baby to her young daughter who had called a neighbour over to help.
Throughout the incident, Moiloa had assaulted the woman, the neighbour, and two young children aged 11 and 14.
A victim impact statement read out to the court from the woman read: “I want him to leave me and my family alone. We do not feel safe in our home. I cannot enjoy my new born baby.”
The 14-year-old who was assaulted also wrote: “Every night I have nightmares of him attacking us. I end up waking up and crying and sometime having panic attacks – I went him to be locked away.”
During his defence, the court heard that Moiloa had written a letter expressing his remorse to the judge and taking full responsibility for what he did.
The court heard he has multiple learning difficulties and has been diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
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Sentencing, Judge Lamb said: “By your actions, you injured four separate people, two of whom were children.
“It involved an assault on your former partner and part of the time she was holding [a] young baby, she suffered bruising and cuts.”
Moiloa was also made subject to a restraining order.
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