A grandmother caught having a romantic evening with her escaped prisoner husband has been handed a suspended jail sentence.
Ian Woofinden, of South Kirkby near Pontefract, was jailed indefinitely in July 2010 after fracturing a man’s skull with a golf club during a row over loud music.
Magistrates at Pontefract heard he absconded from HMP Doncaster open prison last December 16.
At around 9pm on January 19 this year, police raided Maureen Woofinden’s home in Wentworth Drive, South Kirkby.
Prosecutor, Amanda Harris, said: “Their attention was drawn to the fact that there were two glasses of wine and soft music playing in the bedroom. They located him hiding behind some clothes in a small bedroom.”
Richard Pinto, for Mrs Woofinden – formerly Maureen Keeley – said Ian Woofinden had only been at his wife’s address for a few hours on one occasion, adding: “She felt sorry for him as he was bedraggled. She took him on the basis that he could have a wash. He promised her he would hand himself in to police the following day.”
Grandmother-of-two Mrs Woofinden, 49, admitted harbouring an escaped prisoner. Magistrates sentenced her to a three-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. She must pay £85 costs plus an £85 victim surcharge.
At Leeds Crown Court in July 2010, Ian Woofinden was handed an indeterminate prison sentence with a minimum term of two years and 112 days. He had admitted wounding victim Jason Lister with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The court heard Mr Lister had moved to Wentworth Drive with his partner and two-year-old son the day before the attack in April 2010. Loud music from the flat above woke the child that night and Mr Lister went to tell his new neighbour to turn it down. After a confrontation, Woofinden hit Mr Lister over the head with a golf club, fracturing his skull and causing permanent hearing loss in his left ear.