A 40-year-old man who repeatedly assaulted a woman in front of children at her home in Gloucester has been jailed for more than five years.
The court was told how the victim had to push the children out of a downstairs window so that they could be safe from Jeremiah Joshua Smith, who was in possession of a knife.
The victim’s children, who had been having a sleepover with their friends, all fled over a garden fence and sought refuge with a neighbour, Gloucester Crown Court was told today (Wednesday).
Smith, of no fixed address, admitted to causing grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to one woman, and assault by beating in relation to a second woman.
Recorder R. Weekes KC deemed Smith a danger to future partners, and alongside jailing him for five years and eight months, he gave Smith an extended sentence of a further three years on licence.
Smith was also given a restraining order for 15 years in relation to the two victims, a prosecution witness and the neighbour who helped the children, and he was prohibited from entering Kingsway.
The court heard how Smith has 32 previous convictions for 64 offences, with a history of assaulting his partners or ex-partners. His first domestic abuse related offence was in 2006 when he was aged 19.
It was heard how in July last year (2025) one of the victims got home to find Smith there and he started berating her, calling her a slag.
Miss Luscombe, prosecuting, said Smith then turned on the victim, hit her in the head which caused her to fall to the floor, and he hit her again in the back of the head with enough force which meant she could not get back up.
Miss Luscombe told the court the victim curled up into a ball to protect herself while Smith was berating her in her face, and he then punched her in the leg.
Smith admitted assault by beating in relation to this offending.
The other offence relates to a woman who had been in a relationship with Smith which the court was told had turned violent, with him calling her nasty names. She sent him a message in July last year to break off their relationship and he then turned up at her address four days later.
Miss Luscombe said on 31 July Smith used a key to let himself into the address and the victim woke in the living room at around 7am to find Smith standing over her. Her two children and their two friends were also asleep in the living room after having a sleep over.
Smith told the woman he was not going to hurt her and that he wanted to talk to her in. He was holding a big bottle of vodka while getting angry and jealous, and he then took a knife from the knife block in the kitchen.
He said “if you scream, I will stab you”, and then punched the victim out of the blue, causing her to nearly lose consciousness, and he then grabbed her neck to stop her from screaming, the court was told.
While the victim was on the floor it was heard how Smith picked up a second knife, with a knife in each hand, and told the victim to clean her own blood off the floor. He also smashed her phone, asked the victim to remove the sim card, and he then bent it.
The court heard how Smith continued to assault the woman in front of the children, including stamping on her, and the victim sustained a 7.5cm slash to her leg during this. The victim recalled Smith saying he would kill her.
When Smith turned his back, the victim pushed the children out of a downstairs window so that they could be safe away from Smith.
Police arrived and found the victim with a slash wound to the leg and a gash on her head and she was taken to hospital for treatment. An X-ray at hospital then revealed she had sustained a fractured spine.
Smith fled the scene and attempts were made to arrest him, with a public wanted appeal issued by police in a bid to locate him. Smith handed himself into police the day after the appeal.
In interview he gave a prepared statement and denied picking up the knives or slashing the victim, and said that the victim had hit him with a bottle to the back of the head, however he did not show any injuries to police.
Following an investigation by our Criminal Investigation Department he was charged with seven offences. On the first day of his trial, with both victims in court willing to give evidence against him, he pleaded guilty to these two offences. The Crown chose not to proceed with the other counts.
Smith’s defence barrister, Miss Jenkins, said that with the knife-related incident the victim was the first person to pick up a knife out of the knife block and that matters escalated from there. She said Smith could not remember the order of events but that he had received two small puncture wounds to his stomach.
The court was told Smith accepted that he used a knife to strike the victim with the handle to the head, and that the slash wound to the leg was not deliberate.
It was heard how Smith has a pattern of offending specific to domestic abuse. Miss Jenkins said Smith can behave completely differently, and had undertaken garden work and house chores for one of the victims.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Philpott said: “It is clear that Smith poses a very real danger to the women who he forms a relationship with.
“The two victims in this case have been incredibly brave, and they were willing to stand in court and give evidence against Smith for his brutal actions against them.
“There were not only two victims in this case, but four children who were exposed to Smith’s abhorrent and violent behaviour which involved knives.
“Smith’s history of violence and threatening behaviour against women is appalling, and I thank the multiple victims who have worked with police over the years which has led to multiple convictions against him.
“Due to the amount of times he has been put before the courts due to his behaviour, he has now been given an extended licence as it is obvious that he poses a significant risk to women.
“We appreciate that reporting incidents relating to domestic abuse can be very difficult. Please do not suffer in silence and if you don’t want to report what has happened to you to police, please know that there are support organisations available who can help you.”
