Wife covered in blood after being assaulted by husband during drunken argument in Northampton town centre

Judge: 'It's extremely worrying to see the first time you are before the court involves such wicked violence towards your wife and the mother of your child'
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A husband who left his wife covered in blood after attacking her during a drunken argument in Northampton town centre was given a suspended jail sentence on Tuesday (August 10).

Martin McDonagh kicked, slapped and hit the mother of his child with his watch in Saxon Court in the early hours of the morning in June, Northampton Crown Court heard.

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The 20-year-old, from London, told police he was ashamed of his actions but thought his drink was spiked as he never usually behaved like that after consuming alcohol.

Northampton Crown CourtNorthampton Crown Court
Northampton Crown Court

Deputy Circuit Judge Michael Fowler gave the defendant a one-year jail term, suspended for two years, after he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Northampton Magistrates' Court.

"It's extremely worrying to see the first time you are before the court involves such wicked violence towards your wife and the mother of your child," the judge told him.

"It's a particularly unpleasant assault, it stands out as being unusual in that in the course of assaulting her, already having kicked her, you then took your watch, took it in your hand, not as a knuckle-duster, but you deliberately hit her in the face with it.

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"Whilst you say it's out of character, the worry of it is in drinking, an element of your character came out that you must make sure never reveals itself again."

Lucia Harrington, prosecuting, said a resident in Saxon Court heard a woman hysterically screaming as if she was being attacked in the early hours of June 23.

They ran out to find McDonagh and his wife arguing drunkenly - whenever he came towards her, she would scream, and when he refused to give her a cigarette, she pushed him.

The defendant, of Cranbourne Road, Muswell Hill, north London, then slapped her across the face with the palm of his hand and the resident left as they felt like they were in danger.

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CCTV operators witnessed McDonagh then kick his wife and hit her with his watch, so they called police who could hear the woman's screaming for help from the car when they arrived.

Officers said her face and dress were bloodied when they arrived and the husband was arrested.

He gave a prepared statement when interviewed, which said he accepted assaulting his wife and suggested his drink had been spiked as he had 'only had four or five pints' during the day and normally controls himself.

"I am devastated by what I have done, this type of behaviour is completely out of character for me, I love my wife and we have a good relationship," the statement read.

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Judge Fowler said any mitigation for McDonagh's previous good character was balanced by the fact he attacked his wife while she was in a vulnerable state and it continued as she was on the floor.

The court heard she stands by her husband and refused to give a statement to police but the judge said their relationship had been 'ruptured' by the attack.

"The courts are told to not give much regard for what a domestic abuse victim says and I think that is appropriate as this is not an incident anyone should dismiss lightly and it's clear your wife's interests are split between your child's, yours and her own," he told McDonagh.

"She has experienced serious violence at your hand and can never in the future expect to receive any sort of violence in drink which you far too readily resorted to over a petty squabble.

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"You've had a taste of custody, you know what it's like and what awaits you if you breach the order I make."

As well as the suspended sentence, Judge Fowler ordered McDonagh to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He added: "You have had a brush with the law Mr McDonagh, make sure it doesn't happen again as next time the consequences are going to be even more dire."