Assault ‘result of medication and alcohol’

DEFENCE barrister James Preece said Smith was suffering from depression and anxiety and the incident was the result of a ‘concoction of alcohol and medication in his system’.

He told the court: “He has been taking prescribed medication from the doctor and has also been consuming alcohol and it was that mixture that caused him to behave in a way that he had not been behaving in three years preceding this offence.

“In more recent years the defendant has been staying out of trouble and has been proving himself as somebody who can support his partner. “He is a person who is very keen and open to help and acknowledges that he needs help. He is incredibly remorseful for this offence and expressed deep regret and is devastated and deeply ashamed.”

Judge Jonathan Gibson said Smith was suffering from mental health difficulties but ‘made things very, very much worse by taking valium’.

He said: “At the end of the day you caused pain to your partner, terrible damage to the house and the cell which somebody had to clean up and you had a knife.”