'You are clearly a cowardly bully': Husband inflicted 'blunt force' injuries upon his wife while she was on crutches suffering with broken pelvis

Francis Leach carried out the prolonged attack while he was the subject of a suspended sentence for as similar attack upon his partner.

A court heard police were called to the couple's home by a distressed neighbour who heard shouting and screaming coming from the property on Scott Hall Terrace.

Giles Grant, prosecuting, said the neighbour tried to drown out the noise by turning her television up but it continued for three hours.

The woman went round to the house after she heard the victim shout: "Stop it. I can't take any more."

The 60-year-old answered the door and told the woman she could not see his wife as she was ill in bed.

Leach asked them: "Did the next door neighbour call you?"

Officers went into the property and found the victim in bed with injuries.

The court heard there was evidence that the injuries were consistent with "blunt force trauma".

She refused to cooperate with the investigation and claimed she had fallen on stairs.

Leach was interviewed about the incident and claimed he had found the woman with injuries at the bottom of the stairs outside their home.

He claimed he did not call an ambulance as his wife just wanted to go to bed.

At the time of the incident, in January 2018, the victim was using crutches as she was recovering from a broken pelvis.

Leach pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Fiona Clancy, mitigating, said Leach was no longer in a relationship with the victim and they are due to go through divorce proceedings.

Ms Clancy said Leach is now in a relationship with someone else and had not been in trouble in almost three years since the incident.

Leach was given a 21-month sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Judge Simon Batiste told Leach: "You are clearly a cowardly bully and someone who feels they have the right to use violence, and considerable violence, against women.

"Any right-thinking person would be disgusted by your behaviour.

"This was a wicked offence. Whatever the background, and I do not accept the background you put forward here, you completely lost your temper and over a considerable period of time you have inflicted injuries to her.

"She already had a broken pelvis and was using crutches.

"That did not deter you because you felt you had a sense of entitlement to do this."

The judge also warned Leach over his behaviour towards his new partner, adding: "If you behave in the same way towards her as you did with your previous partner then nothing will save you from immediate custody."