A bullying boyfriend who pushed a ‘free jumper’ from a balcony as he prepared for a death-defying leap to escape him was warned he faces an indeterminate sentence.

Dwaine Dyer, 30, caught a half-naked William Asante with the mother of his three children.

The athlete gave him the slip and was about to perform one of his trademark stunts when he was cornered by Dyer.

Two witnesses saw him push him the victim, who toppled to the ground from the second floor balcony 21ft up.

Mr Asante hit his head on the concrete below fracturing his skull, narrowly surviving the fall.

The previously fit and agile victim, who is known as ‘Toothless’, has been left in a wheelchair with permanent brain damage and has difficulty speaking.

Dyer claimed Mr Asante jumped from the Upper Road, Plaistow, flat before he reached him, but he was convicted of attempted murder by a jury following a retrial at Inner London Crown Court.

Jurors were not told Dyer has a previous conviction for conspiracy to wound for involvement in an incident in which the victim died.

The jury heard Dyer was in an “up and down” relationship with Ternika Blanchard, 25, and they had three children together.

He became a “controlling, jealous bully” and they did not live together for much of the time.

Ms Blanchard had started seeing Mr Asante and they stayed together at his home in Upper Road, Plaistow.

Free running was Mr Asante’s hobby and he had once thrilled a crowd at a barbeque by jumping from the roof.

But his exploits got him into trouble 15 months earlier when he was baby sitting Ms Blanchard’s children and decided to jump from the window.

He could not get back in and the children were taken into care after police were called to break down the door.

Dyer was in prison in Kent at the time but when he found out what had happened he began sending abusive texts to Mr Asante.

On the day of the attack Ms Blanchard was due to have a court hearing about the children on October 27 last year, which Dyer was also due to attend.

When she left through the front door of the flat she saw Dyer running towards her and he barged his way in, calling her a ‘f***ing slag.’

Mr Asante was still in his boxer shorts and Dyer grabbed him around the neck.

The victim asked him if he could slip some clothes on and went to the balcony, intending to leap to freedom.

Dyer’s rage “boiled over” and he pushed Mr Asante before he could jump.

Mr Asante was seen to “flip” over the balcony and he plummeted to the ground, hitting his head on the concrete.

Simon Wild, prosecuting, said the history had made him “particularly cross”, but it was not clear what caused him to finally crack.

“Was it the simple fact that Ternika was having a relationship with another man?”, said the barrister.

“Whichever of those factors were playing on the defendant’s mind most, he felt great hostility towards William.”

Mr Asante was flown to Homerton Hospital in an air ambulance but was left severely brain damaged.

Mr Asante has severe amnesia and has a “complete loss of memory” of the incident.

Jurors were shown a taped interview with him in which he explained some of the background but was unable to talk about the event itself.

He recalled receiving a call from Dyer who warned him he was going to kill him because of the incident with the children.

Two witnesses, who did not know each other, were walking along London Road at the time and both said there was “no question” he was pushed.

One, Julia Hudzup, went to help the victim while the other, Roger Ababao, called 999.

Dyer, of no fixed address, denied attempted murder and was convicted by a majority of 10-2.

A previous Old Bailey jury was unable to reach a verdict.

Judge Lindsay Burn adjourned sentencing to December 2 while reports are prepared to help him consider Dyer’s “dangerousness”.

The judge warned Dyer: “It seems to me a substantial custodial sentence is inevitable for such a serious offence.”

ends