Scarborough man who smashed up ex-girlfriend's car and attacked her boyfriend avoids prison

Marc Richardson, 29, crossed railway tracks to get to his ex-girlfriend, whom he “pushed violently out of the way” before marching over to her new partner and punching him in the back of the head, York Crown Court heard.

“[Richardson] continued to punch him until both men were on the floor,” said prosecutor Kelly Sherif.

“The defendant stood up and while [the named victim] was on the floor, he kicked him to the ribs and head. He then walked away, leaving [the victim] dazed and confused.”

The victim needed hospital treatment for bruising to his ribs, elbow and forehead and was unable to work for two weeks following the incident on August 7 last year.

Three days later, Richardson went to his ex-partner’s home in Scarborough and threw a metal garden bench at her car windscreen, which smashed.

Just before 8.30pm, police received reports from a neighbour that there was a “commotion” at the victim’s home.

Two hours later, police received another report from a different neighbour saying she had heard glass smashing and could see Richardson standing in his ex-partner’s back garden “throwing things (at) her window”.

“She said she saw him carrying a cast-iron bench and smashing (the victim’s) car window with it, causing it to smash,” said Ms Sherif.

It was following this incident that the two victims told police about the incident at Seamer Railway Station three days previously, when Richardson walked across the railway lines from the crossing and pushed his ex-partner to the ground before attacking her boyfriend.

Ms Sherif said Richardson had since paid his ex-partner £75 for the damage to the windscreen. The extent of the damage to the housing-association property was unknown.

He appeared for sentence on Wednesday July 5 after pleading guilty to assaulting occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the male victim and assault by beating against his ex-partner. He also admitted two counts of criminal damage.

Ms Sherif said that Richardson, of Dale Edge, Eastfield, had previous convictions for offences including damaging property and escaping from lawful custody, for which he received a suspended prison sentence in March.

Nick Peacock, mitigating, said numerous references attested to Richardson ordinarily being a “valuable member of society”.

He said Richardson’s ex-partner had also provided a character reference saying he was going through a “great deal of difficulty” at the time of the offences.

He added that Richardson was a hard-working man and a good father and would lose his job if he were jailed.

Judge Simon Hickey told Richardson that ordinarily a kick to the head would result in prison, but he had been saved from incarceration due to the character references, as well as his work ethic, guilty pleas and the fact that the offences happened nearly a year ago.

“You are a big man and you could have caused considerable damage to [the male victim],” added the judge.

“[But] I can see from those [character] references [that] you are highly thought of.”

Richardson was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence with 40 days’ rehabilitation activity. He was also ordered to pay the male victim £516 compensation and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work, in addition to those still outstanding from his previous suspended sentence.