A ‘monstrous’ father has been jailed for eight months after he admitted burning his partner’s foot with a lighter, attacking her and then telling their young children she did not love them after she fled for her safety.
John Lambert, aged 23, of Park Crescent, was jailed at Northampton Crown Court today following the attack in September last year.
The court heard an argument began when Lambert dropped the victim’s SIM card from her mobile phone into a mug of tea.
He then held his lighter to her foot, causing one of her toes to blister.
Lambert then assaulted the victim, causing her to jump from a first floor balcony to flee for her own safety.
Lambert, who has a tattoo on his face, then told the pair’s three children, then aged four, three and under one, that their mother was leaving them and that she did not love them.
He was sentenced to eight months in prison.
Judge Michael Fowler said the assault was “appalling” and the reaction to his partner’s jump was “chilling”.
He said: “You probably, when you are not angry, and if you are realistic with yourself, can see what a monstrous partner and father you are.
“If you did even a small part of what is here, whatever else you might do, you are going to frighten your children. Frighten them not only by what you are doing to them, but frighten them for what you are doing to their mother.“
He added: “I am not being emotive, I am just talking about what happened.
“In front of your children you took a lighter and burnt your partner’s foot. You struck her, you slapped her.”