Kirkby thug jailed for attacking girlfriend

A Kirkby thug who punched his girlfriend in her face after subjecting her to months of abuse had a history of domestic violence, a court heard.
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Steven Hodgkinson shouted vile names at the woman after she joked with him, at the Badger’s Box pub, in Annesley, on October 18, said prosecutor Donna Fawcett.

“His partner hid in the toilets and threw up because of her nerves. He shouted: “Come out here - I am going to smash your face in,”” she said.

Hodgkinson grabbed the woman by the shoulder, ripping her top, and punched her three times in the face, causing lumps and bruising.

“She was dragged away by a friend,” Ms Fawcett said. “She told police it was a one-off and she did not want to press charges.”

But two nights later, when Hodgkinson saw the woman with friends in a takeaway, in Kirkby, he walked in and slapped her across the face with the back of her hand.

He seized her mobile phone and got into a taxi. When the woman ran after him and asked what he was doing, he shouted more abuse and hurled the phone at her.

It missed and was smashed beyond repair, on the shutters of the takeaway.

The court heard the relationship began about a year ago, but became “rocky” when he started calling her names, and she became nervous about him.

“He questioned where she was going and what she was doing all the time,” said Ms Fawcett.

In the past, Hodgkinson had spat at her, thrown a cigarette at her and tried to make her crash her car, she said, adding: “She was scared to leave the house because of him.”

The court heard he had served “significant time in custody” for domestic violence against two different women, in 2011.

And he had appeared before the courts in 2012, 2013 and 2015, for harassment and breaching court orders.

Nicola Thorpe, mitigating, said Hodgkinson had been drunk at the time, sent apologies to his victim, and handed himself in to police.

Probation officer Raqia Bano said he was unable to explain his violent behaviour, but was afraid the woman was about to throw a drink over him, during the incident at the pub.

She said he represented a “high risk of harm to intimate partners” and was “unmanageable in the community.”

Hodgkinson, 30, of Cherry Avenue, admitted two counts of assault and criminal damage, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

He was given eight weeks for the first offence, and ten for the second, with one week for the criminal damage to be served concurrently, making a total of 18 weeks in prison.

A three-year restraining order, banning him contacting the complainant or going to two addresses in Kirkby, was made.

No costs or a surcharge were ordered, but he was ordered to pay £500 compensation for the phone.