MAN JAILED FOR ASSAULTING HIS ESTRANGED WIFE WHILE DRUNK.
Matthew Robe, aged 36, received a 15-month jail term at Preston Crown Court after admitting to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.The assault occurred early on January 30, 2022, following a night out with friends.
The court heard that Robe attacked his wife of four years repeatedly during a sudden outburst of anger.
According to a statement from his wife, the couple had been separated for about two years.
During an attempted reconciliation, the pair, along with two friends, spent an enjoyable evening in a pub, where they drank moderately.
After returning to her home with a bottle of vodka and playing music until around 3am, her friends left.
She mentioned that she and Robe might have shared a kiss, though she did not want sexual contact, which she considered a possible trigger for his violent reaction.
She described Robe entering a violent rage, recalling being hit in the face, headbutted, and knocked to the floor.
While on the ground, she said Robe poured vodka over her from the bottle she had bought, all while she was cowering.
Her account of the attack included her stating, "He was hitting me like a bloke." She eventually left the house to stay with her mother, returning later at 10am to find Robe still there, urinating in the sink.
The woman’s statement revealed previous experiences of domestic violence and a current sense of fear in her own home, questioning whether she may have provoked Robe.
She took leave from work to recover from bruises, has socialised less, and is uncertain about entering future relationships.
In her defence, barrister Claire Larton explained that Robe is actively addressing issues related to alcohol abuse and violence through cognitive behavioural therapy, and has returned to full-time work as a scaffolder.
Judge Parry delivered the sentence, emphasizing the seriousness of the offence within a domestic setting.
He remarked on the significant impact on the victim’s self-esteem and the breach of trust involved.
Robe was ordered to serve up to half of the 15 months in custody, with the remainder on license.
A five-year restraining order was imposed, prohibiting him from contacting his wife directly or indirectly, except through legal representatives, and from approaching within 100 metres of her residence.
