Leeds man attacked woman with dog lead during drunken argument on way home from pub

A man beat his partner's friend up with a dog lead during a drunken argument on the way home from a pub.
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The victim was left with bruising to the face and body during the attack after Joel Page "saw red" and attacked the woman for letting his dog out of a car onto a main road.

Leeds Crown Court heard the incident happened as Page was being given a lift home after drinking in pubs in Guiseley, Leeds, on October 11 last year.

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Robert Galley, prosecuting, said Page's girlfriend was driving the car and her friend was also a passenger in the vehicle.

Leeds Crown CourtLeeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

The incident happened after Page and his partner began arguing in the vehicle.

She stopped the car as she wanted Page to get out.

Page then grabbed the victim's arms and pressed her face against the window as she was still wearing her seat belt.

Mr Galley said Page's dog jumped out of the car when a door was opened.

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Page struck the woman to the face, arms and legs with the dog lead.

The metal part of the lead made contact with her body.

She suffered serious bruising to her thigh and blackening and grazing to her eye.

Mr Galley said Page apologised for his actions the next day and "felt sick" about he had done.

The victim provided a statement to the court in which she described suffering from anxiety since the attack and was off work for two weeks.

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She also said she was fearful of bumping into Page in the future.

Page, 30, of Windmill Fold, Yeadon, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court heard he has no previous convictions.

Probation officer Gohar Khan said Page had described himself as being a "seven out of ten" on a scale of drunkenness when he committed the offence.

Mr Khan said the defendant had described losing his temper when the victim let his dog out of the car.

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He said: "This made him angry as the dog went on to the main road.

"He accepts that after he got out he struck the complainant with the dog lead."

The court heard Page accepted that his behaviour was "out of order".

Page was given a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

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He was also ordered to pay the victim £500 compensation and to complete 120 hours of unpaid work.

Page was also made the subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim for the next five years.

Judge Simon Batiste said: "I think you are struggling to come to terms with what came over you that evening.

"You obviously saw red and behaved in an appalling way.

"I have a choice. I can either lock you up for what you did, or I can punish you in the community.

"While this case had a very significant impact on the victim, I take the view that this case can be dealt with by a suspended sentence order."