Man faked epileptic fit to force way into ex-girlfriend's home and demand money
A man assaulted his ex-girlfriend and then faked an epileptic fit on the floor after failing to push his way into her home. Andrew Perkins then shoved his way inside when people came to his aid.
Perkins, who suffers from epilepsy, went to the flat in Highfield Street, off London Road in Leicester, on Friday, May 3, aiming to get money from his ex-girlfriend. Leicester Magistrates' Court was told that after going to the address Perkins had hit his ex-girlfriend in the face and shoved her.
The hearing on Thursday (October 17) heard that after the assault, the former girlfriend shut the door and a male who was at the property with her put his foot against the door to stop Perkins from pushing his way inside.
READ MORE: 'Utterly shameful' man charged 'vulnerable' woman hundreds for fake roof repairs
Prosecutor Vishal Patel told the magistrates: "The other male attempted to brace the door with his foot and the defendant pretended to have a seizure on the floor. As they attended to the defendant he stood back up and pushed [the woman] by her shoulder and entered the property."
He said Perkins also shoved the man at the address. The woman had already called Leicestershire Police by that point and as the officers were heading up the stairs they observed Perkins assaulting the pair and they attempted to arrest him. He managed to push his way down the stairs and escape but was later arrested.
He failed to turn up at a court hearing last month and was found guilty in his absence of assault by beating against his ex-girlfriend and the other male, obstructing or resisting a police constable and using violence to secure entrance to a property.
The court heard that, while the offences merited a community order, the probation service judged Perkins to be unfit to do unpaid work because of his epilepsy.
Beth McGovern, representing Perkins, of Conaglen Road, Aylestone, Leicester, said: "I have to accept the persistence to these incidents. Fortunately it was quite a low-level incident."
She said that while Perkins had been subject to a civil injuction keeping him away from the woman's flat, that order had expired at the time of the latest incident.
Perkins was given a 12-month community order with a £100 fine, along with an order to pay £100 court costs and a £114 victim surcharge. His order will include 20 days on probation-recommended programmes.