Judge labels Washington man a 'drunken thug' as he is given chance to avoid jail for attacking girlfriend
James Reed, who had previously been given community orders for assaulting police officers, including breaking one's finger, has been given a final chance to stay out of prison
by Sara Nichol · ChronicleLiveA man labelled a "drunken thug" by a judge has been given a final chance to stay out of jail after he attacked his girlfriend.
James Reed has a record of assaulting police officers, including breaking one officer's finger when he rained down punches aimed at his head, and has been given community orders in the past. But the 25-year-old failed to take heed of the warnings and landed himself back before the same judge after attacking his girlfriend.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that, on one occasion, Reed threw the victim into a mirror, causing it to break and for her to lose consciousness by banging her head, while on another he dragged her around her house. Reed, of Collingwood Court, Sulgrave, in Washington, Sunderland, was arrested and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage in front of the same judge who had sentenced him to a community order in the past.
Branding him a "drunken thug", Judge Amanda Rippon was persuaded to give him one last chance. She revoked the community order given for assaulting the police officer and handed him a six-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, while deferring his sentence for the offences against his girlfriend.
Judge Rippon said: "You have to stop getting drunk, stop taking drugs and stop hurting people because, you know what, my patience has gone. If you keep doing this, your sentences are going to get longer.
"I'm not known for giving people one chance, let alone two. I do, however, have a method here, which I think might be the best way to see if you can do what I just said."
Over the next six months, Reed must stay out of trouble, try to get a job and stop drinking and taking drugs. He will appear back at the same court for sentence on March 10 next year.
Cainan Lonsdale, prosecuting, said Reed's first attack on his girlfriend happened on New Year's Eve when they were having a party and Reed started arguing with his dad. Mr Lonsdale continued: "[The victim] tried to calm things down. She stepped in front of the defendant when he and his father were about 7ft apart.
"The defendant grabbed hold of her by the arms and threw her across the room and she fell into a mirror and it broke. More significantly, it caused her to bang her head on the wall."
The court heard that the victim learned from a friend that she had lost consciousness and that persuaded her to go to the police. However, the pair met up again on March 25 this year and Reed assaulted her again, this time by dragging her around, which caused a cut to her leg.
On that occasion, Reed also punched a hole in a door inside her flat and broke a bath panel. In a statement, the victim said: "I feel afraid in my own home in case he comes and tries to hurt me."
Katie Spence, defending, said Reed, who has 25 offences on his record, hadn't planned the attacks and was remorseful. She added: "He knows, essentially, he's laughing in the face of Your Honour when committing these offences.
"He feels physically sick when he thinks about these offences." As part of his suspended sentence, Reed must also complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
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