Man punched partner in drunken row
CHRIS GEE
AMAN punched his partner in a ‘drunken argument’ after she didn’t reply to one of his text messages, a court heard.
Marc James Maguire struck the victim to her left cheek with his fist causing her lip to ‘pop’ and verbally abused her, the hearing was told.
The 42-year-old and his partner, who had been in a relationship for 15 months, had returned home to Oswaldtwistle from the cinema on August 20 and Maguire started drinking.
Prosecutor Phillipa White told the Blackburn Magistrates Court that he had ‘around ten cans’ of beer while on the phone to a friend ‘for a number of hours’. The court heard that his partner went up to bed and Maguire later texted her but she didn’t reply.
Miss White said the father-of-three then went up to see her and they had a ‘drunken argument’.
The defendant was ‘unsteady on his feet’ and was ‘ picking a fight with her’ and calling her names. The court was told that the victim ‘used expletives back at him’ and ‘ names and words were exchanged’.
When she made a comment about Maguire’s father he ‘lunged at her and struck her to the left cheek with his fist’.
Magistrates were told that she fell back onto the bed and felt her top lip ‘pop’ and eye start to swell up.
The victim then got hold of his hand to stop him assaulted her and pushed him away, causing his head to strike the door frame, the nity order with a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement, fined £100 and ordered to pay £100 compensation and £250 costs.
Defence solicitor Richard Prew said the victim suffered ‘no long-lasting injuries’ and Maguire sustained two broken fingers, a cut to the face and a bang to the head. He said: “[Maguire] only had about seven cans of beer over a period of five to six hours. He was not as drunk as had been made out.
“He feels he was acting in self-defence but respects the decision of the court. He doesn’t want to get back in a relationship with her.”
The court was told that Maguire was a ‘hard-working man’ until being diagnosed with COPD.