A drunken dad viciously attacked his ex-partner before punching her mother when she tried to intervene following a row over child maintenance.
Crack-cocaine user, James Sharpe slapped his former partner when she turned up and asked him for £100 child maintenance. But not happy with that, the 31-year-old later went to her home on two separate occasions and entered unannounced to continue attacking her, eventually leaving her with a broken finger and other injuries.
Sharpe, of Plunkett Terrace, Pelton Fell, County Durham, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Friday, via link from HMP Durham, to be sentenced for charges of assault by beating, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and criminal damage. He pleaded guilty to the charges a previous hearing.
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Christopher Bevan, prosecuting, said Sharpe's ex-partner went to his home on July 23 this year in order to ask him for £100 in maintenance for their child. He said: "The defendant was in drink and gave her £30. She got the impression he was more interested in spending money on drink rather than their child and an argument ensued. With substantial force, he then slapped her causing her to bleed from her lip."
The woman then left, but around four and a half hours later, on July 24, Sharpe turned up to her home uninvited. Mr Bevan said: "He let himself into the property without permission and continued to assault her and damage property. She was asleep when she woke to find him standing over her. She asked him to leave and when he took her by the neck she pushed him out to the street and called 999. The defendant then took a child's bike and threw it against the door, causing damage to the plastic."
The court heard Sharpe rode off on his own bike whilst threatening to hurt her parents. But he still didn't stop there, Mr Bevan said the woman later saw Sharpe climbing over her neighbour's fence before he "forcefully kicked in" her door while she was still on the phone to police. He added: "The defendant took her phone and smashed it by stamping on it. He then punched her 10 times, causing heavy bleeding from her nose and lips. She was on the floor as he stamped on and kicked her head and body."
The court heard the woman broke her finger during the attack, as well as sustaining other injuries. Mr Bevan said the woman's mother, who lives on the same street, heard her daughter's screams and went over to see Sharpe kicking into her. As she tried to pull her daughter free, Sharpe punched her to the back of the head. The police soon arrived to arrest Sharpe as he attempted to make off before his former partner was taken to hospital.
Lewis Kerr, defending, said: "This defendant pleaded guilty and recognises this appalling behaviour crosses the custody threshold. When not in drink, he is somebody who is described as a good father. His behaviour was unacceptable and he regrets it, he knows it will harm his relationship with his former partner and their child. He has crack-cocaine and alcohol issues and it may be a case where he can be managed in the community."
Judge James Adkin called Sharpe a "repeated domestic abuser" and said he had previous convictions for harassment, common assault, and breach of a restraining order. The judge jailed Sharpe for 28 months and made him subject of a 10 year restraining order.
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