Man attacked partner as he thought ‘Satan had sent her’
A MAN attacked his girlfriend because he thought “Satan had sent her to murder him”.
Lee Dickinson told his partner she was taking her last breaths as he punched, pushed and kicked her at her Derby home.
Derby Crown Court heard the victim suffered bruising and cuts.
The court heard that a couple of months before the offence, Dickinson had smashed one of his girlfriend’s windows to get into her home following an argument.
After the more serious incident, the victim went on to retract her statement about the 38-year-old.
The court heard the assault took place on March 25. It was said Dickinson had mental health problems and the victim had noticed his health had deteriorated in the weeks leading up to it.
Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting, said: “They had been shopping and when at home they had a drink together in the front room. All of a sudden he said that Satan had sent her to murder him. Initially she laughed. He became agitated. He became more aggressive and started kicking off.”
The court heard she was pushed and fell on the wardrobe, banging her head. She fell to the floor, he started punching and kicking her.
She said: “He was shouting in her ear you ‘won’t be leaving here’. This would be her last couple of breaths.”
The court heard when he went to “jump up out of the bedroom” she fled to get help. However, Ms Pritchard said the victim went on to retract her statement.
The court heard Dickinson had 26 convictions for 53 offences.
James Beck, mitigating, said: “I found him [the defendant] polite and articulate, but clearly suffering from mental health problems.”
Dickinson, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm and criminal damage.
Judge Jonathan Bennett handed Dickinson a 10-month sentence. He had served the equivalent of a 12-month sentence on remand, so 10 months allowed his release. He is currently receiving treatment from a mental health hospital so it will be decided whether he remains there under the Mental Health Act and if the hospital helps put together support on release.
Judge Bennett said: “I have got to look at the issue of your mental health. I note the victim made a retraction. It is quite clear she wanted to resume a relationship with you. I do not make a restraining order.”
DEMOLITION of a former Derby hospital building has begun despite heritage experts speaking out against the decision to raze it to the ground.
Leeds-based developers Torsion Care applied last year to Derby City Council to demolish two 1930s buildings on the Kingsway Hospital site to make way for an 80-bed extra-care home and retirement apartments.
But despite one of them – Bramble House – being a locally listed building and a heritage asset, planning control committee councillors voted in favour of the plan, in line with officer recommendations.
Objections came from the city council’s own conservation officer, the city’s Conservation Area Advisory Committee and Derby Civic Society.
Bramble House was once used by the hospital to house nurses and was included in Derby city’s 2009 Local List, meaning it was of “considerable merit”.
Historian Maxwell Craven said: “Demolition therefore should have been a measure of last resort, and every avenue towards the preservation of the building in a scheme being proposed to the authority should have been rigorously evaluated.”
Suggestions that the two buildings – the other was known as Braemar House, which is not listed – could have been renovated and refurbished for use as a care home were met with a price tag of
£2 million for Bramble House and £165,000 for Braemar House. Planning permission was given last October and the wrecking ball moved in earlier this month. Demolition is well under way, as passers-by on the inner ring road heading for Kingsway island will have noticed.
A MAN bagged up his ex-girlfriend’s personal belongings before throwing them down the stairs during an argument at a Derby address.
Niall Walters had fallen out with his former partner about their relationship, decided to “pack her bag” and ended up breaking a mug that was inside.
Derby Crown Court heard when the victim began crying, he said he would “give her something to cry about” and threw a piece of the mug towards her, which hit her in the face.
The court heard how in a separate incident in the days before this, he had also pushed her against a wardrobe during another argument about their relationship.
Judge Robert Egbuna, who presided over the case, handed Walters a suspended sentence.
Outlining the case to the court, prosecutor Andrea Lock said the defendant and the victim had been in a relationship for two years and there was an acknowledgement of “sexual jealousy and immaturity on part of both parties”.
She revealed the victim had been seeing another person which had caused a number of verbal arguments.
She said on November 19, 2019, there was an argument about her seeing another person which resulted in Walters losing his temper pushing her into a wardrobe, causing some bruising.
Ms Lock said: “On November 29, (there was) another argument. (He was) packing up her personal belongings, throwing the bag down the stairs. That caused a mug in the bag to shatter.
“As she sat on the bed crying, he said ‘I’m going to give you something to cry about’ and threw a piece of the mug that shattered, in her direction. That unfortunately struck her in the face. There was a 2cm laceration to the right side of her face.”
Ms Lock told the court 21-year-old Walters was of “hitherto” good character.
Judge Egbuna told Walters’ mitigating advocate Matt Hayes that he was not going to impose immediate custody.
Mr Hayes said: “I know that will be some reassurance to him today. There are a couple of mitigating factors, one is the delay in this case. He was 19 at the time. He is remorseful for what happened. He has been working.
“He is now in a settled relationship. His partner dropped him off at court this morning. There have been no callouts with the new partner. No issues in that relationship.”
Walters, of Sinfin Lane, pleaded guilty to assault and actual bodily harm. Judge Egbuna handed him a five-month sentence, suspended for 12 months and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
In passing punishment, Judge Egbuna said: “At the time of the offending you were 19, now you are 21. You were in a relationship.
“It is not acceptable for you to react towards another person by way of acts of violence. You didn’t do it once, you did it twice.
“The circumstances set out in the basis of plea make it clear and I sentence you on that basis of plea.
“I’m going to keep an eye on this case. If you don’t comply you will come back before me. I hope I don’t see you again.”