PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND WAS PUNCHED
A WINSFORD man punched his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach after drinking heavily on Boxing Day.Joseph Edward Scott, 23, of Churchill Parkway, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared at Northwich Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
Catherine Whincup, prosecuting, told the court that on December 26 Scott had drunk around 12 cans of lager when he carried out an unprovoked attack on his partner of seven months - who is 12 weeks pregnant with their child - in front of her sister.
She said: "He had been drinking very heavily and began to say to her that he didn't want the baby and that he would kill it.
He then punched her hard in the stomach and she tried to move away but he punched her a further three times in the stomach, causing her severe pain." Ms Whincup said Scott's partner was taken to Leighton Hospital and suffered bruising, although the baby was unharmed.
Quentin Querelle, defending, said since the incident Scott and his partner had been in touch with each other and she now wanted to drop the charges against him.
He added: "What has concerned my client is what he has done and that he has done it while drunk.
I don't seek to justify what he has done and neither does he but he has done the right thing by trying to apologise to her." Chairman of the bench Val Godfrey said the court would consider a custodial sentence for the offence.
She added: "It's a serious offence, made worse by the fact your partner is pregnant and you punched her in the stomach." The case was adjourned for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.
Scott was granted conditional bail and will appear in court on Thursday, February 2.
