Man threw knife towards pregnant partner after dragging her round house 'like a dog'

A man threw a knife towards his pregnant partner and dragged her round the house "like a dog". Anthony Flanagan had flown into a rage and repeatedly punched his partner.

She escaped outside but he hurled one knife towards her, then held up a larger one, Mold Crown Court heard. Flanagan, 36, admitted assault and affray in the incident, which happened on Norman Road, Wrexham.

A judge heard he had referred himself to an agency to deal with his issues and gave him an eight-month jail term suspended for two years. Prosecutor Catherine Elvin said Flanagan and the victim had been in a "positive" relationship for two years. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here

READ MORE:Man put his thighs around partner's neck until she struggled to breathe

READ MORE:Tribute to 'cheeky' North Wales soldier who showed true Rorke’s Drift resilience and 'never gave up'

But on June 23 this year, having come home several times to deal with household matters, she returned again to check whether Flanagan had fed their dogs. She found him on a computer game with an empty vodka bottle beside him. She challenged him and asked: "Why are you drinking again?"

The prosecutor said Flanagan "ripped off his headphones and screamed in her face". He swung his right arm which struck her neck and she asked why he had hit her.

Then he grabbed her by the ponytail and dragged her through the dining room and out of the front door, the court heard. He called her a slag and a "c***" and punched her on the mouth twice.

The victim managed to run down the street and rang police and his brother for help. But when she turned she saw Flanagan standing in their front doorway holding a knife which he threw towards her.

It didn't hit her but he produced a larger knife. He then went back in the house and slammed the door. But a neighbour saw the last part of the incident and rang police.

The victim sustained a reddened mark on her face and a cut mouth. She said it's "terrifying" what he might have done and she was in fear of her life.

However she withdrew her statement, with the main reason being so she could focus on her pregnancy, the court heard. The judge His Honour Niclas Parry told the defendant: "Your victim was pregnant with your child and....you dragged her by the hair like a dog."

He was so drunk that he "emerged from the house and like a child threw the knife". She retracted her statement no doubt due to the control he was exerting on her and wants to focus on her pregnancy, the court heard.

But Flanagan, of Ashville Road, Poulton, Merseyside, had referred himself to an agency to get help for his issues. The judge jailed him for eight months for affray, suspended for 18 months. There was no separate penalty for assault.

He must wear an alcohol abstinence monitoring tag for 90 days and pay £1,000 towards costs. He must also do 20 days of rehabilitation activity and attend 35 days of a programme requirement.

Find crime figures for your area