Kristian Shea, of Surbiton Road, followed his partner around their home repeatedly punching her in the face
Teesside Crown Court
A labourer who broke two of his partner’s teeth in a sustained domestic attack walked from court, with her arm around him.
Drunken Kristian Shea, 25, followed his partner around their home repeatedly punching her in the face, saying: “Why are you making me do this?”
A Teesside Crown Court judge told him yesterday: “She didn’t make you do anything. You did it, and no responsibility or blame can be placed on her at all.
“For you to come out with those words was quite appalling.
“You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.”
Judge Les Spittle said the better, more constructive, way to protect Shea’s partner was not to jail him but leave the threat of a prison term hanging over his head.
He gave Shea a nine-month sentence suspended for two years with supervision and programmes to tackle his drink, anger and relationship problems.
Shea thanked the judge and kissed his partner as he walked from the dock.
She had said in a statement following the assault: “This incident has changed my future as I cannot now continue my relationship with Kristian.”
She later said she might have “over-reacted” and was willing to support him while he got help.
The court heard how Shea, who had been drinking beer and vodka, assaulted his partner at home after a family get-together.
He pushed her around the kitchen, punched her several times in the face then told her: “Get up and stop being stupid.”
He pursued her as she tried to get to a phone, shouted at her and punched her until she bled and spat out a tooth, said prosecutor Rachel Masters.
He snatched the phone off her when she dialled 999, and forced open a bedroom door she’d held shut when she ran upstairs.
When police arrived he said “you’re not arresting me”, swung his fist and kicked out hitting an officer before he was restrained.
His partner of six years had two broken teeth, swelling and cuts to her face. She said there had been previous incidents between them but only one police call-out.
Shea, of Surbiton Road, Stockton , admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and assault of the police officer from December 28 last year.
Duncan McReddie, defending, said the attack was “a complete lack of self-control” fuelled by excessive drinking.
Shea acknowledged his behaviour was “wholly unacceptable”.
He since referred himself for advice and help in how to manage relationships.
Shea wanted to support his family and was working as a labourer on a building site and training to become a truck driver.
His partner was an intelligent woman who knew the relationship had gone through a trauma and that they needed help to “establish it on a proper footing”.
Mr McReddie added: “An immediate term of imprisonment would serve to punish Mr Shea but there may be unintended punishment to the family unit.”
The judge said anyone involved in violence would “meet the full majesty of the law”, and it was worse that the persistent assault was in a relationship, to achieve “domination” by physical force.
He said it appeared Shea’s partner wanted the relationship to continue: “Whether that’s a wise course or not is not a matter for me to determine.
“What I can hope to do in the long term is to try to protect her as much as possible.”
No comments:
Post a Comment