A man injured his partner with a spanner after throwing a coat at her during an argument in a caravan.
David Riddell caused injury to his partner's leg after throwing a coat at her which had a spanner in the pocket. Riddell's assault left the woman with a large bruise on her thigh and was committed just two weeks after he had been given a suspended sentence for a previous attack on the same woman.
Riddell, of North Road, Catchgate, Annfield Plain, County Durham, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Monday to be sentenced for common assault. He had pleaded guilty to the offence.
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The court heard that in October last year, Riddell was given a 13 month prison sentence, suspended for two years after carrying out an attack on his partner, which involved him pushing his thumbs into her eye sockets. But just two weeks after receiving the suspended sentence, the 35-year-old again assaulted his partner.
Christopher Wood, prosecuting, said Riddell and the woman had been in a "volatile and violent" relationship for around five years and that Riddell was "bad tempered and aggressive" throughout. He said: "Between November 5 and 6 they were at a caravan and had been drinking following a bonfire event.
"At some point the defendant became annoyed and threw a coat at her - a large spanner was in the pocket. It hit her thigh causing bruising. When the bruise came through, she showed it to the defendant who said, 'I didn't mean to do that'".
Riddell was arrested a few days later and he denied the offence, claiming his partner had injured herself after hitting her leg on a table. The court was told he had 24 previous convictions for 35 offences, with Dr Wood stating the woman wants to maintain a relationship with Riddell.
Kate Barnes, defending, told the court the pair's relationship is "characterised by heavy drinking by both parties". She said: "She wanted to leave the caravan and he threw her coat towards her, it contained a spanner. It was a reckless assault."
She said that Riddell is "capable of keeping out of trouble", adding: "When drinking to excess he is incapable of thinking clearly."
Sentencing Riddell, Judge James Adkin activated his previous suspended sentence and jailed him for 13 months.
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