Life sentence for Gillingham man who killed unborn child
Asa Davison, 35, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court
A man who abused his pregnant former partner has been jailed for life following the death of her unborn child.
Asa Davison, 35, was found guilty of child destruction and inflicting grievous bodily harm at a trial last year.
At around 11pm on Friday 29 May 2020 Davison and his then partner, who was 29 weeks pregnant, were in Gillingham town centre when she walked away from him.
He was later 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 the police.
When officers arrived, Davison's pregnant partner had sustained significant injuries to her face after being assaulted by the defendant.
She was taken to hospital for treatment for her wounds. While she had several fractures to her face, it was sadly confirmed that her child had died in the womb during the attack.
At Bournemouth Crown Court, Davison was handed a life sentence, with a minimum sentence of 12 years.
This means that Davison will not be eligible for early release until 2034, when he will be aged 47.
Speaking following the judgement, Detective Inspector Neil Third from Dorset Police welcomed Davison's sentencing.
"This was a truly horrific domestic assault by Asa Davison that sadly had tragic consequences as it resulted in his victim losing her unborn child," he said.
"I hope this case demonstrates that we will do all we can to identify offenders who commit domestic abuse offences and ensure they are brought before the courts to face the consequences of their actions."