A man who violently assaulted his girlfriend in public was beaten up by neighbors who came to her aid. The offender was surprised when bystanders refused to be passive onlookers and intervened, leaving him with a severe black eye.

Ryan Parker, who had been drinking heavily at a pub that day, arrived at his girlfriend’s house, and the two got into a heated argument. Parker started verbally assaulting her, with witnesses saying he was telling her she “was a waste of space that deserved to die.”

The 32-year-old then escalated the situation, slapping and punching his partner of about 14 years until she fell to the floor. The assault continued and, fearing for the victim’s life, neighbors stepped in, beating the man unconscious.

The altercation occurred on Portobello Street, Hull, United Kingdom.

A UK man who violently assaulted his girlfriend while drunk was then beaten up by onlookers who answered her calls for help. He was given a 20-month jail sentence

Image credits: Grzegorz/stock.adobe.com

But a black eye wasn’t the only thing Parker received for his act of violence, as his eye socket was fractured and his cheekbone completely broken. He was also sentenced to 20 months in prison for the assault, as well as for possessing a knife and using life-threatening language, according to Hull Crown Court’s sentence.

Prosecutor Oliver Shipley described Parker and his girlfriend’s relationship as “turbulent,” implying that this wasn’t an isolated incident and that heated discussions became part of the couple’s routine as it became “worse and worse.”

“She eventually managed to get out of the property through the door and out into the street, where she screamed for help,” Shipley explains.

Image credits: doidam10/stock.adobe.com

Those who came to her aid found her already swollen and bruised. Parker, suddenly finding himself outnumbered, armed himself and started threatening anybody who tried to help.

“The defendant continued his behavior on the street while in possession of a knife,” said the Prosecutor.

Feeling cornered, Parker attacked one of the neighbors, prompting the rest to hit him in return, resulting in the wounds seen in the case’s mugshots.

The judge considered Parker’s defense to be insufficient, pointing out that the presence of a knife and life-threatening language indicated a clear intent to cause permanent harm

Image credits: Ryan Parker

Armed response officers arrived at the scene shortly after and apprehended the man.

In court, Parker’s defense lawyer, Ben Hammersley, tried to emphasize the injuries his client suffered at the hands of the bystanders. He also tried to frame the attack as an isolated incident, claiming Parker had no prior convictions and, thus, had acted out of character.

Judge Timothy Clayson, however, wasn’t convinced by Hammersley’s defense. He pointed out the seriousness of the assault, which, in light of the available evidence, could’ve resulted in the woman’s death had the neighbors not interfered.

Image credits: Humberside Police

“You became abusive to her before becoming violent. She described you slapping her, pushing her around, and trying to force her out of the door, in the course of which she was caused to fall to the floor,” Clayson stated.

“She described violence to the face with numerous punches. All of this was fueled plainly by excessive drink. It was a sustained assault. This is a very serious matter.”

“The overall offenses here are so serious that only immediate custody is appropriate. There was a serious risk of disorder by your production of this knife.”

Parker was sentenced to 20 months in prison, and he was given a six-year restraining order

The domestic violence case is one of many in the United Kingdom, with official statistics lamenting the lack of progress on the matter, as the number of incidents remains the same year after year

Image credits: Ryan Parker

The woman, whose name has been kept anonymous for her protection, said she was left scared for her life and worried for her children.

“I do not want Parker anywhere near my property or my children,” she stated. “I am truly broken and shocked about the whole situation.”

Parker’s defense lawyer assured the court that his client has “no desire to contact her whatsoever.”

Domestic abuse continues to be a problem in the United Kingdom, as the Office for National Statistics estimates that over 2.1 million people (1,4 of whom were women) aged 16 and over experienced abuse in 2023.

However, progress on the issue is stagnant, with both the total number of cases and prosecutions recorded seeing no improvement from 2022 to 2023.

“The police recorded 889,918 domestic abuse-related crimes in the year ending March 2023, a similar number to the previous year,” the Office stated.

The UK’s National Center for Domestic Violence, states that a domestic abuse-related call is made to the police every 30 seconds and that, even then, “[it] is a largely hidden crime which goes unreported to the police.”

Netizens lamented what the woman had to go through but praised the neighbors who came to her defense

Image credits: erika8213/stock.adobe.com

“Her life may very well have been saved that night. Thank goodness, someone was there to help,” wrote one reader.

“The problem with today stepping in are repercussions and the fact people carry knife’s so fair play to those who intervened and risked retaliation or injury,” reflected another.

“How refreshing to see the good samaritans step in rather than many who would rather film it on their phones,” stated one user.

“Well done to bystanders who did something useful and didn’t turn a blind eye or worse still just filmed it,” wrote another.

“That night could have ended very differently for her. I’m so glad someone was there to help her.”

“Well done bystanders!” wrote one reader, as others joined in to congratulate the neighbors who put themselves in harm’s way to defend the woman

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