Ashington dad's attack on his baby's mum branded 'deep down in the gutter' with 'lowest of the low'
A dad who attacked the mother of his baby was told by a judge the violence puts him "deep down in the gutter" with the "lowest of the low".
The victim had been in a relationship with Martin Thain for 15 years and they had a child together. Newcastle Crown Court heard the woman described the relationship as "toxic" and said there had been previous pushing and shoving but nothing had been reported to the police.
On May 20 this year, the woman went to make a bottle for their eight-month-old baby and to change her. Fearing an argument was brewing, she tried to calm Thain by asking him to re-wrap the baby in a blanket. He responded by shouting and when she asked him to stop he said: "I will shout at whoever I want."
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Concerned about an escalation, the woman tried to divert Thain and went into the kitchen. He then grabbed her by the hair and then headbutted her.
Annelise Haugstad, prosecuting, said: "She was so terrified she lost control of her bladder. She sat on the sofa and he threw things at her and was calling her a psycho.
"She ran upstairs and felt her head smash into the wall. He pinned her down on the stairs.
"He smashed her head against the wall a second time and threw a can of Red Bull at her, which hit her in the head."
The woman fled the scene of the attack, which spanned an hour from the beginning of the row to her leaving, with gaps between episodes of violence. She needed treatment to an injury to her head.
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Thain, 32, of Warkworth Crescent, Ashington, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years with 150 hours unpaid work.
Judge Amanda Rippon told him: "You are very lucky that baby was so young and hopefully it will not have an impact on them. But no one really know what a baby absorbs so it may very well have an impact, so bear that in mind in future.
"Your assault on someone who ought to be feeling safe with you and be able to trust you in their home is more serious because the impact on them emotionally is always worse. It causes trust issues going forward and makes them feel unsafe in their own home.
"However you have expressed genuine remorse. I don't often see it. I see people feeling sorry for themselves but I'm satisfied in your case it's genuine remorse.
"You have not sought to qualify what she said and even agreed with what she said and that's vanishingly rare.
"But please don't think this is not serious. A man who takes his hands to his partner, as far as I'm concerned, puts himself with the lowest of the low and in the company of a baby you really are deep down in the gutter."
Shaun Routledge, defending, said it was a "nasty offence" which happened after the relationship deteriorated following the birth of the child. He added: "He has expressed remorse and he has expressed regret.
"He takes his responsibilities in relation to his daughter, who has just turned one, seriously. He is a caring father and he is working with social services.
"Thankfully (the baby) would have been, I hope, far too young for this to have any effect on her but it's a major aggravating factor to the incident."