Woman's unborn baby died after Devon man kicked her in the stomach

Roger Bygrave is yet to be sentenced Credit: Irving of Exeter

A man has admitted kicking a woman who was 28 weeks pregnant in the stomach in a Valentine's Day attack.

Roger Bygrave downed 10 pints of cider before kicking the victim, who was out on a 'date night' with her sister.

The next day the woman had an emergency caesarian section but her daughter did not survive.

Much of the incident - which happened at the Market House Inn in Dartmouth - was caught on CCTV and the pub's landlord Mark Edwards said Bygrave kicked like he was taking a "rugby penalty".

Today (March 16), Bygrave admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm.

The 37-year-old, of Townstal Road in Dartmouth, will be sentenced next month. He was bailed by Judge Peter Johnson who warned him bail was "no indication of the likely sentence".

The attack happened outside the Market House Inn in Dartmouth Credit: Google Maps

Bygrave had previously been on trial over the incident in September last year.

Then a jury cleared him of child destruction but failed to reach a verdict on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.

Today he still denied causing GBH with intent but accepted causing GBH to the victim. Prosecutor Adrian Chaplin said his plea was acceptable.

The previous trial at Plymouth Crown Court heard Bygrave went to the pub where the victim and her sister had met up to remember their late grandfather as their mother worked behind the bar.

Bygrave took a glass outside the pub and he was challenged that it should be in a plastic glass.

The court was told he gave 'the finger' to staff and walked outside before he was confronted by the landlord and staff.

The victim went outside to use her own barmaid experience to calm things down - but was kicked hard in the stomach and felt immediate pain.

She told the earlier trial: "I just went out there to try and help. It just all exploded very quickly. I don't really know what happened. Roger kicked out. He kicked me in the stomach."

Bygrave claimed he was acting in self defence and told police he would not have kicked out if he had known he would hit a pregnant woman.

Bygrave was arrested by police at his home and wept when he was told the baby had died and was 'gutted that this happened'.