Moody man assaulted his partner and damaged her phone

A man pushed his partner twice and damaged her mobile phone after they had an argument over her buying chocolate for one of her children.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, September 7, how Luke Tongue, 35, of Upperthorpe Villas, Killamarsh, grabbed Katie Woollen’s mobile phone which fell to the floor before he pushed her against a wall and pushed her again on to a bed.

Prosecuting solicitor Sarah Haslam said the complainant was a voluntary worker at Hope Springs recovery centre where she met the defendant who had a brain injury after an assault and they started a relationship.

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Ms Haslam added: “The defendant took daily medication and this should not be taken with alcohol but sometimes the defendant would take both and he would become argumentative and moody.”

On August 23, the complainant returned from shopping, according to Ms Haslam, and had brought chocolate back for one of the children and the defendant was not happy that money was being spent on confectionery.

Ms Haslam told how the complainant asked the defendant to leave but he refused and as she was phoning his father to help calm Tongue down he grabbed her phone which fell to the floor and the screen smashed.

The complainant went upstairs to remove Tongue’s belongings, according to Ms Haslam, but he pushed her in the chest against a wall and he pushed her again and she fell on to a bed and a wooden headboard.

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Ms Haslam added: “She got the children out of their beds and left the address in her bare feet and left in her car with her two boys.”

Tongue told police there had been an argument because he had been concerned about finances and he accepted throwing the phone and twice pushing his partner.

The defendant pleaded guilty to assault by beating and causing damage to the phone after the incident on August 23.

Defence solicitor David Gittins said Tongue has difficulties after he had previously been the victim of a vicious attack and had been on his “deathbed” with a frontal lobe injury to his brain.

Magistrates adjourned the case until September 28 to consider a probation report before sentencing.