Midlothian man jailed for horror crowbar attack that left ex-partner scarred for life
Connor Rowley, from Midlothian, jailed for horrific crowbar attack that left his ex-partner scarred for life
A man who left his former partner scarred for life following a horror crowbar attack has been jailed and banned from contacting her for life.
Connor Rowley, 29, lured victim Tiffany Thomas to a secluded area before launching an assault on her by throwing the makeshift weapon over a fence and striking her to the head.
He then fled the scene leaving the mum-of-two lying bloodied and unconscious in an industrial estate in Mayfield, Midlothian, last year.
She was subsequently rushed to hospital and underwent an operation to drain blood from her brain and close the wound in her forehead.
The 21-year-old student midwife had 16 stitches inserted to the horrifying head injury and now suffers from PTSD, memory loss and painful thunderclap migraines.
Rowley pleaded guilty to a charge of assault to permanent impairment, permanent disfigurement and danger to the woman’s life when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.
He returned to the dock for sentencing on Wednesday where Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss said the attack has left Tiffany with a series of impairments including possible problems with her eyesight in the future.
The sheriff said: “What you pled guilty to was an assault using a weapon, in this case a crowbar, and the result was that the complainer was rendered unconscious.
“She was left permanently impaired, permanently disfigured and her life was put in danger.
“She has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and has issues with her memory.
“In the overall circumstances there is no appropriate alternative other than a custodial sentence.”
Rowley, of Mayfield, was caged for 13 months and handed a non-harassment order banning him from approaching or contacting Tiffany for an indefinite period.
Solicitor Calum Turner, defending, said Rowley is “a vulnerable and socially isolated individual” and has “expressed remorse for his actions” and shown “insight on the impact on the complainer”.
Mr Turner said his unemployed client had acted with “reckless impulse” that evening due to believing Tiffany and her new partner had “attended to confront him” at the industrial estate.
Tiffany has now bravely spoken out about her ordeal and praised the medics who treated her after the shocking assault that took place at around 10.30pm on April 11 last year.
Tiffany, from Midlothian, said: “I had been in a relationship with him but we had been apart for about three years when he asked to meet me to discuss child care.
“He asked me to go up to a local industrial estate where he was working on a car and as I was walking up to where I thought he would be he jumped me from behind a fence.
“I was hit by something really hard and heard it clang on the ground. It wasn’t until later I realised I’d been attacked with a crowbar.
“The pain was so excruciating and I was so disoriented that I must have blacked out for a bit.
“The coward then ran away and left me there but fortunately my partner was in the car behind me and rushed over to help.
“My partner got me into the car as I was drifting in and out of consciousness and drove me to hospital.
“I was using my daughters jumper to try and stem the flow of blood.”
Tiffany said she now suffers from PTSD where she is scared to leave the house on her own, has memory loss and takes severe migraine attacks.
She said: “I really can’t thank the doctors and nurses enough for what they have done for me - they were all so kind and their care was second to none.”