A violent thug who attacked his brother then kicked his heavily pregnant sister-in-law in the stomach has walked free from court.
Ryan Pearson was already subject to a suspended sentence for battery and public disorder when he carried out the shocking violence after a night out drinking with his brother, Declan. Declan's partner, Paige, who was 36 weeks pregnant, picked the pair up to give them a lift home from North Shields in January.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Pearson's behaviour changed during the journey and he became short-tempered, saying to Paige: "You blame me for everything". Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said: "There is some history between them.
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"Declan was telling the defendant to calm down because he was repeatedly calling Paige names such as a tramp. Paige said as she drove through Wallsend the defendant got more and more angry.
"She said when he is drunk he lunges forward with his head as if he's going to headbutt someone and he did that to her and Declan. He was shouting in Declan's face 'watch what's going to happen' because he was trying to defend Paige from his aggressive behaviour."
Pearson then punched his brother several times to the body and face and kicked him. Paige stopped the car and told him "I'm 36 weeks pregnant man, stop it" but he replied "I don't care".
Mr Pallister said: "At that point the defendant kicked out at her and made contact with the lower part of her stomach, causing her to fall to the ground. She could feel pressure to her stomach from the fall and pain to her coccyx.
"The defendant was kicking out at Declan, who was going in and out of consciousness and not moving." Paige managed to contact the police and the 20 minute ordeal was over. Declan was left with a burst and sore nose and they were both left in fear.
Pearson, 26, of Alwinton Avenue, North Shields, was found nearby and arrested. He was originally charged with assaulting the couple but prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to affray. Judge Stephen Earl sentenced him to two years suspended for two years with an alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.
The court heard Pearson has 10 previous convictions and was given a football banning order by the same judge in 2013 as a youth following his involvement in violent disorder between Newcastle and Sunderland fans. He also has convictions for GBH in 2016 and got a suspended sentence in 2018 for wounding. He was convicted of being drunk and disorderly in 2018 and 2019 and in August 2020 Judge Earl imposed a four month sentence, suspended for two years, for battery and public disorder. He breached that suspended sentence, the second one he has had in the past four years, with the latest violence.
The judge told him: "You should be deeply ashamed of your behaviour. Given your record for violence, this is the time you either need to get the message or you will go to prison." He added that he had "a great deal of suspicion it's just talk" about Pearson changing.
Jonathan Cousins, defending, said: "His problems lie in his behaviour when intoxicated. His employer speaks very well of him and they are aware of these proceedings and wish to employ him in future.
"He recognises this is extremely bad behaviour but I ask you to give him credit for understanding that and recognising it and doing what he can to confront it.
"He is still doing a lot of growing up and he is still capable of being a positive member of the community, a good employee and a good partner and father."
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