‘I am not a violent person’ claims dad who attacked his ex in row over child

A DAD attacked the mother of his toddler during a row about contact with his child.

Gerald Maughan punched his expartner twice and kicked her once during an argument at her Derby home, Derby Crown Court was told.

Addressing the court himself over the video link from Nottingham Prison, Maughan said: “I am deeply sorry and I apologise to her. When I get out I will work with social services. I just want to move forward. I am not a violent person. I am very upset by this, I miss my child deeply.”

The 33-year-old first said he was acting in self-defence but after an adjournment to consider what is called his “basis of plea” he accepted what he did.

Laura Hocknell, prosecuting, said the offence happened at the victim’s address in High Street, Chellaston, on December 8, last year.

She said: “Just before 3am the police received information that the victim had been badly beaten. Police entered the address in question and saw she had facial injuries.

“She gave a statement and then a video interview on December

15. What she said in the video recording is that she suffered injuries to the right side of her, she was struggling to move her jaw.

“She said she had a scratch to her neck and her chest was bruised. She said she was at her home address with her two-year-old child who was asleep and thankfully did not see what happened.

“She said the defendant entered the address with another male and there was drinking. She said an argument began and during it she was punched twice and kicked. “The police became involved because a neighbour heard a bang and looked out and could see the victim hanging out of a window.”

Miss Hocknell said Maughan was arrested days later in Kent and denied the offence. But in court he later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

In his initial basis of plea, the court heard how the defendant was allowed into the address and that the argument began around two hours later about contact with their child.

He said there was a scuffle which lasted around 10 to 20 seconds.

Maughan, of Ellis Close, Swanley, Kent, has nine previous convictions for 22 offences including affray, failing to comply with a community order and driving matters.

William Donnelly, mitigating, said his client was “not a violent offender” and asked the judge to keep the “inevitable” custodial sentence as short as possible.

Jailing him for 14 months, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “I have seen [photographs of] the bruises and this happened in the mother’s own home. Your child was in the house and very fortunately was not woken.”

As well as the jail term, Judge Bennett handed Maughan a seven-year restraining order not to contact the victim or go to her Chellaston address.

Derbyshire police do not have a custody photograph of the defendant.

I am deeply sorry and I apologise to her. When I get out I will work with social services.

Gerald Maughan