A Douglas man has been handed a suspended sentenced after throwing a coffee cup which cut his wife’s head.
Andrew Peter Tattersall, of Hillberry Meadows, threw coffee over his partner before hurling the cup in her direction.
She suffered a cut which needed eight staples to close it at Noble’s Hospital.
Magistrates sentenced 48-year-old Tattersall to 16 weeks in custody, suspended for 18 months, and fined him £950.
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We previously reported how the offence had occurred in August 2017 but Tattersall’s partner had initially been reluctant to make a complaint which had delayed it being reported until June 2018.
The incident had occurred when the couple had been rowing after Tattersall’s wife had returned home after visiting a friend.
It began as a verbal argument but then escalated with Tattersall throwing hot coffee over his wife.
He then threw the cup with it hitting her on the head and resulting in her suffering the wound.
When interviewed by police Tattersall gave ’no comment’ responses to all questions.
Defence advocate Louise Cooil said that the prosecution facts were accepted, on the basis that Tattersall’s act in throwing the cup had been reckless rather than with intent to hit his wife with it.
Ms Cooil said that her client had not made his first appearance in court until January 2019 after the matter was ’left to drift by police for a considerable time’.
Highly-charged
The advocate said: ’It was a very brief incident between partners living in a highly-charged situation.
’The cup was thrown recklessly and it hit her.
’His actions were out of frustration rather than malice.’
Ms Cooil went on to say that Tattersall had taken every step he could in mitigation afterwards.
He had moved out of the family home, arranged care for their children, paid for his partner’s loss of earnings, and paid the mortgage until the house was sold.
Magistrates accepted that the offence had been a ’one-off flash of temper’.
Tattersall admitted a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.
He was also ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs.