A Chesterfield man attacked his ex twice because he was angry she was going to the gym

Michael David Foster appeared before Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, September 24 after previously pleading guilty to two counts of assault by beating, as well as assaulting an emergency worker.

The court was told that Foster’s attitude towards his former partner had changed when she had started going to the gym and hiring a personal trainer and had attacked the woman twice, firstly on February 5, and again on July 5.

Prosecuting, Sarah Haslam said: “The complainant was the long-term partner of the defendant and they had been in a relationship for about 14 years on and off, and there have been incidents in the past where she’s had to report him for domestic abuse.

“She had taken out gym membership and he was not happy that she was using a personal trainer. The first incident was at the home where he slapped her and grabbed her around the throat and threw her to the floor.”

She said that the incident in July had started when they’d gone to the pub and Foster had become agitated and aggressive when another man had come onto the premises.

“He threatened to attack this man and she told him to calm down,” Ms Haslam told the court. “At around 8.30pm his behaviour escalated again and he again acted aggressively.

“The complainant decided to go home and left the public house, and when she got home she told her son to call the police if he heard trouble. He came in drunk and he asked her why her coat was dry when it was raining outside. He called her a slag and said he wanted her children out of his home, threw her onto the sofa and put both of his hands around her throat.”

Foster, previously of Blandford Drive, Newbold, then launched a sustained attack on the woman, strangling her as well as punching and slapping her, she said.

The 41-year-old had a previous conviction for attacking the same woman dating back to 2008, the court heard.

Mitigating, David Gittins said that the assault on the PC had been an accident, caused as Foster jumped out of the back of the police van because he was having a panic attack.

He said: “Over the past two years he has suffered an array of personal issues. His mother passed away and his father was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in June this year. He now accepts that, rather than dealing with these issues in a sensible way, he’s turned to alcohol.”

Magistrates gave Foster, currently of Hatton Drive, Chesterfield, a two-year community order to include 200 hours of unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation activity days and a building better relationships programme.

He was also issued with a two-year restraining order and ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the police officer, £85 costs and a £90 victim surcharge.

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