A MAN punched and kicked his wife in front of their screaming son when he became jealous over texts she sent to another man, a court has heard.
Darren Terry, of Vauxhall Street in Worcester, had been in a relationship with Kathleen Terry for 15 years, including more than three years of marriage, Worcester Magistrates Court heard last Friday (October 17).
On September 24 the couple were at the Goodrest Tavern when Terry started making ‘sly’ remarks to Mrs Terry about texts he had seen exchanged between her and the other man five days before. He had also discovered the pair had previously kissed.
The victim left the pub and went home but when Terry returned about 6pm the court was told how he became extremely aggressive and while in the garden punched her in the jaw.
The 32-year-old then went inside and spoke in a ‘derogatory’ way to their son which Mrs Terry did not like so she punched him in the face causing a nose bleed. Terry then smeared the blood over his partner’s face.
The court heard how Terry, who was not represented in court, then pushed the victim to the floor and kicked and punched her while the youngster screamed for it to stop.
After calling his wife’s dad, the defendant took a baseball bat to a house in Gillam Street, believed to be address of the other man in question, and started hitting the front door before damaging the wooden fence.
He then returned home, locked his partner and her family out the house and threw the family dog out, the court was also told.
Terry pleaded guilty to assault by beating, possessing an offensive weapon and criminal damage and was handed a two-year community order with two years supervision and the building better relationships programme.
District Judge Nigel Cadbury said: “It was a very unpleasant act and you really did lose it in a big way, not just assaulting your wife but then going round with a baseball bat and wanting to carry the assault on.
“It was not just a momentary lapse of concentration.
“It is unlikely the courts will see you again but if anything like this is repeated you will be looking at a prison sentence.”
Terry was also ordered to pay £30 compensation for the damaged fence, £85 court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
