Laughing thug hit partner with child's bike and poured crisps over her after "excessive" drinking session

Mathew Stogden and his partner had spent an evening drinking and taking cocaine before an argument broke out and he turned violent, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor John Batchelor said that 34-year-old Stogden and the woman had been in a relationship for 10 months, and although there was no physical violence, there were elements of jealousy.

The couple had been drinking at a pub in Pontefract on the evening of August 21, where they had downed "excessive amounts" - between 10 and 12 pints and taken the Class A drug.

When they returned to the female's home on Olivers Mounts in Pontefract in the early hours, an argument broke out.

Stogden became abusive and aggressive in the kitchen, before he put his hands around her throat and dragged her to the ground.

He then picked up the child's bike and hit her with it, before pouring the packet of crisps over her and laughed.

She was able to get to her feet and run to a neighbour's house where the police were called.

Stogden was arrested and during an interview with police said he remembered "nowt" from the incident.

Stogden, of Grange Rise, Hemsworth, admitted a charge of assaulting occasioning actual bodily harm. He has two previous convictions.

He declined to be represented in court, so no mitigation was offered, however, the court was told that he fully co-operated with a probation report.

Judge Robin Mairs said: "It clearly crosses the custody threshold but because of the report, I'm minded to suspend the sentence.

"Normally, people go straight to prison, this level of domestic violence will not be tolerated.

"But there's a guilty plea and there's the admissions and the honesty you showed with the probation officer, and the genuine remorse you have shown."

He handed him an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He also ordered him to attend a building better relationships programme.

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