Drunken dad bit wife after losing a game of FIFA against his son

Marcin Cizman lost his temper at being defeated on the popular football game at his home in Manor Grove, Castleford, and when his wife tried to intervene, he turned on her, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The 33-year-old was told by his wife not to talk to the children aggressively, and he grabbed her by the throat while calling her a “whore” and a “bitch”. It happened at around 9pm on October 4 and prosecutor Michael Smith said Cizman had already drunk two bottles of wine.

The couple struggled and he then bit her finger. In the panic, one of the couple’s sons phoned the police. During his police interview, Cizman said he had been drinking and could not remember struggling with his wife, although he admitted they had “fought a bit”.

The court was told that Cizman, who has no previous convictions, had previously lost his job and had been drinking more, putting on a strain on his marriage. They had been together 11 years, married for six and had two sons. They had lived in the UK for more than seven years.

Appearing in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was held on remand, he admitted a charge of actual bodily harm. Mitigating, Eddison Flint said: “This is a man who never wished to put his partner and children through the hurt he has caused them. He is proud that his son knew what to do and that he called the police.”

He said that Cizman had taken his mother back to Poland and when he returned, had lost his job. Mr Flint added: “He fell into a spiral of drinking and depression. It’s clearly those triggering factors that resulted in him acting in the way he did.”

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told him: “When you lost the game of FIFA you became aggressive and when your wife intervened, you became violent towards her. It must have been really bad for your own son to call the police.”

He was given nine months’ jail, suspended for two years, 20 rehabilitation days and a restraining order to keep him away from the victim.