Bad-tempered thug assaulted his partner before denting her car

A thug pushed and struck his partner with a rucksack and kicked out at her car after he lost his temper.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Thursday, July 5, how Stephen Smith, 45, of Fabric View, at North Wingfield, Chesterfield, lost his temper with his partner at his former address on Boughton Lane, Clowne.

Prosecuting solicitor Sarah Haslam said: “The complainant had known him three years as a friend and they became involved in a relationship during the winter, last year, but almost straight away things became toxic with verbal abuse from the defendant.”

Mrs Haslam added that Smith lost his temper and was screaming and shouting and pushed the complainant with open palms against her chest pushing her back on to the floor.”

Smith also struck the complainant in the face with a rucksack during a second incident, according to Mrs Haslam, while he was being aggressive and verbally abusive and this knocked her sideways.

Mrs Haslam said that when the complainant had managed to get Smith out of the property she saw him kicking her car twice putting dents in a front wing of the vehicle.

Police later found Smith with a small amount of amphetamine drugs with a street value of £5 when they arrested him on Mill Green Way, in Clowne.

The defendant initially denied the assaults to police and claimed he had found the drugs but he accepted damaging the car.

Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating from March 4 and March 10 and admitted causing damage and possessing a class B drug from March 10.

Magistrates sentenced him to a community order to last until January 4, 2020, with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 80 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge and £85 costs.