Brute attacked pregnant partner
AN ABUSIVE thug assaulted his pregnant girlfriend after she told him to leave – before attacking her again two months later.
Kallum Lee James Austin, from Middleton, stormed out of his then-partner’s home after being told to get his belongings, Tameside magistrates court heard.
Prosecuting, Gareth Hughes said the first assault dated back to November 18, 2019, when Austin’s then-partner returned from a doctor’s appointment at 10.30am.
He told the court that the couple’s relationship was ‘on and off,’ and trouble began when Austin asked her ‘if she had stopped being in a strop.’ Mr Hughes said: “She ended up telling him she no longer wanted to be in a relationship, and his response was aggressive and violent.”
The court heard that Austin threw a coffee cup against a wall with contents inside, and damaged furniture, before going upstairs to collect his belongings.
Mr Hughes said Austin, 36, then assaulted his partner, grabbing her by the upper arms.
She contacted police and went on to text Austin that she wanted no further contact from him, but Mr Hughes said that he continued to get in touch with her.
On January 19 last year, Austin assaulted his ex-partner for a second time after following her out of a pub, the court heard.
Austin told her he wanted to walk with her because she was pregnant, but he again became aggressive. Mr Hughes said the woman escaped when Austin was distracted, before contacting a friend and the police. But Austin again managed to catch up and enter her home.
In a statement given by the victim, she said Austin ‘grabbed’ her and threw her onto the bed, before throttling her and putting his weight on her.
Mr Hughes told magistrates that Austin’s partner told him ‘Kallum... the baby... you are crushing me’ – to which he replied: “Don’t use that as an excuse.”
Austin pleaded guilty to criminal damage and assaulting his former partner on November 18, 2019, as well as assaulting her and obstructing a police officer on January 19, 2020.
Mr Hughes told magistrates that Austin initially pleaded guilty to criminal damage but denied the other charges, and trial dates were fixed before he later changed his pleas to guilty on all counts. The court heard that the complainant did not want Austin to have a restraining order, as he has since been in contact to see their young child. Defending, Colin Davidson said his client had also tried to resolve issues with drinking,
while a probation report said he suffers with depression and chronic back pain.
Austin, of Cooper Fold, was handed a total sentence of 12 weeks imprisonment for the four offences, suspended for two years. He must attend 31 ‘building better relationships’ sessions, pay £100 compensation for the criminal damage and pay £100 for the injury caused.