A St John Ambulance volunteer was beaten up and had her arm broken by her possessive boyfriend after she posted a selfie in uniform.
Niamh Brett, 28, was accused by Adam Miller of being of ‘selfish’ and putting him and their baby at risk of being ‘infected’ with coronavirus after he saw the post on her Facebook.
During the attack Miller, 30, told her she should not take her dream job before grabbed her left arm and put it behind her back until the bone snapped.
As the victim reeled back in agony, he told her: ‘Let’s see you volunteer now with a broken arm!’
Miss Brett, from Reddish, near Stockport, Greater Manchester was initially too frightened to report Miller and at first claimed she had sustained her injury by falling down the stairs.
Niamh Brett, 28, was beaten up and had her arm broken by possessive boyfriend Adam Miller, 30, after he accused her of putting him and their baby at risk of coronavirus through her work as a St John Ambulance volunteer
She had a plate and screws put into her arm and now has a prominent scar and had to take two months off duty. She told police: ‘I wish I never met him. He ruined my life.’
Miller pleaded guilty to alternative charges of causing grievous bodily harm without intent and assault at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court on Tuesday.
The court heard Miss Brett, who had two other children from a previous relationship, had began her relationship with Miller in October 2017 but it was said to be ‘turbulent and coercive’ and he was violent towards her.
In one incident he accused her of being ‘too slow’ in answering the front door to him and that he ‘kicked and punched her she crawled about the floor’.
Prosecutor Lisa Boocock said: ‘Miss Brett was trying to realise her dream of working for the St. John’s Ambulance and she started that on November 18, 2020.
After breaking her arm, Miller, told Ms Brett: ‘Let’s see you volunteer now with a broken arm!’
‘That led to her having a photo on Facebook in her uniform which made him very angry. The defendant made his feeling very clear, did not approve and thought she was putting their young baby at risk as he thinks she might infect him with Covid.
‘He said she was selfish and he sent text messages to her at work. She continued to receive those throughout the day and he then phoned her and says: “When I get my hands on you, I am going to smash your face in. You are not working there.”
‘The day after, in the afternoon, the defendant was at home and he told Miss Brett he says, “You did not tell me you put pictures up of you working at St John’s”.
‘He then started to punch himself and this caused Miss Brett real fear. He said: “Do you think I am a d***head?” and she got on to the floor and braced herself for the assault.
‘The defendant said he would break her arm and he grabbed her left arm and put it behind her back, which causes her bones to break.
‘He said: “Let’s see you volunteer now with a broken arm!” She didn’t have the courage to tell her father what had happened and when she was taken to the hospital, she said that she had fallen down the stairs.
‘Unfortunately, the fracture was a closed fracture and it displaced over a few days and went back to the hospital to be operated upon on.
‘She had a plate and screws put into her arm and over the next 12 months, she will be rehabilitating her arm. The medical notes state there is a prominent scar.
Ms Brett had to have a plate and screws put into her arm and now has a prominent scar and had to take two months off duty. She told police: ‘I wish I never met him. He ruined my life’
‘She (Brett) is frightened about going into her own bedroom as it brings flashbacks. She says the defendant was emotionally and physically abusive and says the scar is very prominent, and she won’t be able to wear T-shirts in the summer.
‘She said it was the worst night of her life, and it will stay with her forever and that the physical pain was unbearable. She was told at one point she would not be able to use her arm and had to take two months off work as she had flashbacks.
‘She is very worried that he will attack her again and he will come and kill her. She thinks about his threats every day.’
Miller, from Chinley, Derbyshire went on the run after the attack and sent texts to Miss Brett saying: ‘Listen, you think you can do this to me. Did your arm not teach ya nothing?’
Miller pleaded guilty to alternative charges of causing grievous bodily harm without intent and assault at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court on Tuesday (stock photo)
He was later arrested following a public appeal but denied breaking her arm claiming she must have done it herself. He had 15 previous offences on his record including a 2011 conviction for battery on another ex-girlfriend plus harassment.
In mitigation defence counsel Brendan O’Leary blamed Miller’s temper tantrums on him being ‘pushed aside’ as a child by the education system.
Mr O’Leary added: ‘He is clearly someone who has significant difficulties in terms of relating to other people, particularly his partners.
‘There is genuine remorse at what has happened. He was worried about Miss Brett and his son catching Covid. I understand that when you are working in a hospital environment where there are increased risks, but if you all take precautions at the hospital, then families won’t be impacted.
‘With Mr Miller, he cannot process information like that logically so he processes it as a threat – that Miss Brett may catch Covid and that his son may catch it too.’
Miller has pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous bodily harm without intent and one count of assault.
He is expected to be sentenced in June following the preparation of reports.
