'You behaved like a schoolboy': Judge condemns man who knocked woman unconscious in drunken row

Paul Townend attacked the sister of his ex partner after she slapped him during a drinking session, Leeds Crown Court was told.

The 33-year-old grounds worker admitted a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following the incident at an address on Tavistock Way in Chapelthorpe.

Prosecutor Joseph Bell said he had been in a relationship with the victim's sister for two years and they had a child together.

Townend had been dropping their child at the victim's house, where his former partner was, on December 20 last year and stayed to have some drinks.

The court was told that Townend drank eight cans of lager and began falling asleep.

His partner's sister told him he should go into one of the bedrooms to sleep, but he became argumentative and made threats to 'gouge out' her father's eyes.

The victim then lashed out at him, slapping him with her hand.

Townend reacted instantly by punching her in the face, causing her to fall backwards and hit her head, leaving her unconscious.

He then ran out of the house, and and ambulance was called to take the victim to hospital.

She suffered a black eye and swelling to her cheek, along with blurred vision.

The court was told that Townend, of Newsholme Lane, Durkar, had one previous conviction for two offences - criminal damage and domestic violence.

Mitigating, Gareth Henderson-Moore said: "He is sorry for the injury he caused. He fully accepts there was no justification for his actions.

"While there is animosity between him and the complainant he has no reason to act in the way he did and is thoroughly ashamed of himself."

Judge Penelope Belcher said the slap he received was an assault in itself, but added: "You had no right to respond in the way you did.

"The grown up and manly thing to do was to walk out.

"You could not say it's wholly out of character because you have a previous conviction for a domestic incident.

"You need to behave like a grown man, not a schoolboy."

She gave him a six-month jail term, suspended for 18 months.

He was also given 150 hours of unpaid work, told to pay £300 compensation to the victim and given a five-year restraining order.