Man attacked girlfriend on seaside trip (From Craven Herald)

Man attacked girlfriend on seaside trip

11:29am Thursday 24th January 2013 in News

A 40-year-old man attacked his girlfriend while on a birthday trip to Morecambe, Skipton magistrates heard.

Mark Steele and his now former long term partner, Lynne Wright, went to the seaside town in August last year as a birthday treat, the court was told.

But after they returned to their hotel room with a takeaway, Steele turned on Miss Wright after she dropped some of the food.

He demanded she clean it up and when she tried to leave, blocked her way, pushed her onto the bed and punched her with his clenched fists.

Prosecuting, Hilary Reece said it had been a violent relationship and Steele had a previous conviction for assaulting a former partner.

Steele, who admitted assault by beating on August 26, was now isolated and living in a caravan at the Flying Horse Shoe park at Clapham, the court heard. He had also started drinking, but was seeking help at Craven Organisation for Drugs and Alcohol (CODA).

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order with supervision and a four-month curfew between 8pm and 6am. He was also ordered to pay compensation of £100 to Miss Wright and costs of £85. Magistrates further imposed an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting Miss Wright directly or by a third party by any means, including social media, and not going within 100 metres of her home or place of work.

However, two days later, magistrates changed the community order curfew to 40 hours unpaid work after hearing it had not been possible to install curfew equipment where Steele lived.