South Tyneside thug punched the mother of his two children on Christmas Day after row

Steven Puttock, 26, of Lord Nelson Street, South Shields, was handed a year-long restraining order and must also pay his victim compensation for the attack at her home.

The general operative, whose seven-year relationship with his victim has now ended, denied the booze-related assault when quizzed by police, a court heard.

He insisted she was uninjured when he left her home in John Williamson Street, South Shields, to visit a friend, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court was told.

But he pleaded guilty to common assault, a lesser charge than originally in place, when he appeared before the court.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: “They had been drinking together. It starts to kick off, there’s shouting and screaming between them.

“Matters come to a head at about 8.30pm. They are in her room. There’s another person who lives there who leaves them because they want some privacy.

“Things boil over. She’s blaming him and he’s blaming her. The incident escalates, he punches her in the face.

“The police arrive, and they see what’s been going on. He is interviewed and says initially that he hasn’t punched her.

“He said that he went to a friend’s house and that she didn’t have any injuries when he left her.

“He was saying that he would have held his hands up if he had punched her.”

Janice Hall, defending, said: “It was a seven-year relationship and the couple have two children together.

“He accepts that this relationship was not a good one and that there were difficulties over time. He describes difficulties on both sides.

“Since Christmas the relationship in his mind is over. He does not wish to continue the relationship.”

District Judge Kathryn Meek handed Puttock a 12-month community order with a requirement of 15 days of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service and 40 hours of unpaid work.

He must pay his ex-partner £100 compensation, and there was also £150 court costs and a £90 victim surcharge.

The restraining order bans him from entering Malvern Street, South Shields, and from contacting his victim.

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