Man, 35, who kicked pregnant girlfriend in stomach pictured, as he is convicted of killing unborn child
A MONSTER who kicked his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach and dragged her along the street has been convicted of killing her unborn baby.
Vile Asa Davison, 35, has been found guilty of attacking Isabelle Irish while she was 29 weeks pregnant following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.
At around 11pm on Friday, May 29 2020, Davison and his then partner were in Gillingham town centre in Dorset when she walked away from him.
Davison was seen on CCTV on his bicycle looking for her and then followed her to an address in the town.
They left the address together and at around 11.50pm the victim ran away from Davison again as they walked back toward the town centre.
She began knocking on doors asking for help and a resident called police, who arrived at the scene.
Officers attended and could see she had significant injuries to her face that appeared to be the result of an assault.
Miss Irish was rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
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She had sustained a number of fractures to her face and it was tragically confirmed that her baby - who had been perfectly healthy at its 20-week scan - had died in her womb.
Miss Irish admitted to a friend in hospital that Davison had lost his temper and had caused the injuries.
The court heard Davison had been in a relationship with Miss Irish for a couple of months and she was already pregnant before they got together.
Sarah Jones, prosecuting, said the defendant felt bitter about the prospect of raising another man's child.
After he was arrested police recovered recordings on his phone to Miss Irish.
In one he said that it "broke (his) heart" that the baby was not his.
'SIGNIFICANT INJURIES'
He also said: "You get little f**k baby out of my house. I don't give a s**t about your baby."
Ms Jones said: "Isabelle Irish was heavily pregnant when she met Ace (Asa) Davison.
"On the night of May 29, 2020, the defendant erupted into violence which the Crown says caused her to lose her 29 week old baby and suffer serious injuries to herself.
"One witness described the defendant as treating the woman like a dog on a lead and kicking her up the road.
"She saw him punch her in the face, drag her along the road and kick her in the belly. Another resident heard a sound like someone dragging a bag of compost.
"Miss Irish was taken to hospital where she was found to have significant facial injuries.
"An ultrasound detected no fetal heartbeat and confirmed the baby died inside her, which at the 20 week scan was developing normally and without concern.
"When you look at the evidence it is inescapable that the person responsible for the untimely death of Miss Irish's child was the man who had earlier spoken of his resentment at feeding and raising another man's child.
'TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES'
Ms Jones said that despite going through "the terrifying ordeal", Miss Irish stayed with Davison.
Then in September 2020 he attacked her again, the jury heard.
Ms Jones said: "The defendant and Miss Irish stayed together and in September she was seen running from his house covered in blood with a swollen face."
The attack left her "shocked by her own reflection", the court heard.
Davison, of Gillingham, was convicted of child destruction, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.
He has been remanded in custody and return to court to be sentenced on Tuesday, December 21.
Detective Inspector Neil Third, of Dorset Police, said: “Domestic abuse is abhorrent in any circumstances, but what makes the actions of Asa Davison particularly shocking is the tragic consequences for the victim with the loss of her unborn child.
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“We take all reports of domestic abuse extremely seriously and will do everything we can to ensure perpetrators such as Davison are brought to justice.
“We will do all we can to support victims and would encourage anyone who has been subjected to domestic abuse not to suffer in silence and please come forward.”
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a - available every day from 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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