CPS North East - Domestic Abuse Prosecutions - September 2023

Notes to editors

Below are examples of Domestic Abuse cases successfully prosecuted by CPS North East in September:

The defendant was charged with several offences including threats to kill, assault and motoring offences following incidents which took place at the victim’s home address. Earlier in the relationship the defendant gave the victim money to purchase a car, which he later demanded to take. Having been refused permission, he assaulted the victim and then left in her vehicle, returning it the following day. Police were informed but the victim refused to make a statement at that stage. She did, however, end the relationship. A while later the defendant again attended the victim's address and demanded the money that he had given her. He made threats towards her before again taking the vehicle without permission. The victim was then awoken at five am to find the defendant in her bedroom stating he had had crashed the car into a lamppost. The victim’s seven-year-old daughter was also present in the room at the time. The police arrived and he was arrested. He was abusive to police and continued to make threats towards the victim and family members. The defendant pleaded not guilty and, prior to trial, the victim retracted her statement and refused to attend court. Despite this, the defendant pleaded guilty to a number of the offences and he was sentenced to a total of 30 months’ imprisonment. 

The defendant was charged with an offence of controlling and coercive behaviour towards his partner, who had been subject to a series of assaults during their relationship. The defendant also contacted the victim constantly at her place of work, going as far to contact her employers to claim that they were ruining his family and that the victim was having an affair at work. The defendant pleaded not guilty to these charges, but the victim was granted special measures and gave evidence at trial. During the trial, the defendant left the court building. The court continued to hear the case in the defendant’s absence and he was convicted. The defendant was later arrested and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. A restraining order was also granted until further notice. 

This case concerns long standing domestic abuse perpetrated by a son against his mother. The defendant was convicted of criminal damage, after he pleaded guilty to damaging his mother’s car. Following trial, he was convicted of two further charges of assault by beating after he slammed a door against her foot causing bruising. On a separate occasion, he had also slammed a door into her shoulder also resulting in bruising. The defendant was sentenced to 20 weeks’ imprisonment, minus seven weeks he had already spent on remand, following three instances of breaching his bail conditions, and a restraining order was also imposed. 

The defendant was convicted of assault by beating after he punched his partner in the chin and legs which resulted in bruising and reddening of the skin and a bump to her forehead after he headbutted her. The defendant did not attend his trial, but the victim still gave her evidence in his absence, with her victim personal statement being read out by the prosecutor on her behalf. The defendant was sentenced to an 18-month community order, an 18-month restraining order as well as costs totalling £114.

The defendant and victim had been in a relationship for approximately three years before separating. Following this, the victim had met the defendant at his home to collect her daughter from him. A verbal argument over their daughter’s care arrangements quickly escalated into a physical altercation when the defendant attempted to take control of their child’s pram. During this confrontation the defendant grabbed and pulled at the victim’s hair, grabbed her arms, and elbowed her. The defendant was arrested and released on police bail with conditions attached not to contact the victim or visit her address. The defendant continued in his attempts to contact the victim, both calling and texting her, often addressing his text messages to her mother despite knowing that this was in fact the victim’s own phone number. The defendant pleaded not guilty at trial, but was found guilty of common assault by beating and a stalking offence. He was sentenced to a twelve-month community order, 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, a £250 fine with costs of £620 and victim compensation of £200. The Court also imposed a two-year restraining order preventing the defendant from contacting the victim or visiting her address.

The police attended the complainant’s address following a call from her that she had been assaulted by her then partner. The complainant confirmed that the defendant had found out that she was having an affair, and the ensuing argument escalated into violence. The defendant banged the complainant’s head on the top of the stairs, and then pushed her down the stairs, the attack continued into the kitchen, culminating in the defendant striking the complainant across the face, which had caused her to lose a tooth. The defendant left the property, but not before taking the complainant’s mobile phone and using it to withdraw thirty pounds from her bank account. The defendant pleaded not guilty, alleging that he had not assaulted the complainant or taken her phone. Due to the complainant’s reluctance to support the prosecution, this case subsequently became an evidence-led prosecution. The evidence from the 999 call along with the police body-worn camera footage was considered to be particularly compelling during the trial, whilst the defendant’s own account was deemed to be not credible. The defendant was found guilty of theft and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and is due to be sentenced in November 2023.