A MAN who assaulted his partner during a row and then drove suddenly backwards with her clinging to his car has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Stephen Skelton, 50, and girlfriend Stephanie Chambers argued about an accusation of infidelity he denied on April 19 as the pair travelled in a Ford Focus.
Miss Chambers got out of the vehicle and, prosecutor Francis McEntee told Carlisle Crown Court: “She describes the defendant grabbing her and pushing her down the road using his body weight to overpower her.”
Unwilling to get back in the car, Miss Chambers tried to grab a key from the ignition on Frizington’s Main Street. As she did so, one bystander used a mobile phone to video Skelton revving the engine and reversing suddenly at some speed a short distance, with tyres smoking, as she leaned in through the window.
Miss Chamber later told police: “I’ve been holding on to the car door terrified that if I let go with the speed he was travelling I could of gone under the front wheels.”
Skelton, of Moor Place, Frizington, admitted assaulting Miss Chambers by beating, dangerous driving, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and no insurance.
Remorseful Skelton was said to have been suffering from depression and anxiety at the time amid a background of personal difficulties. The court heard his clothing had been ripped during a struggle with Miss Chambers during the incident.
“None of that excuses the behaviour that you exhibited on 19th April,” said Recorder Eric Lamb as he passed sentence.
A six-month jail term was suspended for a year, and Skelton was ordered to complete a “building better relationships” course and rehabilitation activity requirement. He was also banned from driving for 12 months and must pass an extended test before getting behind the wheel again.
