COEDPOETH MAN JAILED FOR ASSAULTING EX WITH 'LOVE BITES'
A MAN has been jailed after giving his ex-partner 'love bites' as she drifted in and out of consciousness following consumption of alcohol and medication.Scott Williams, of Coedpoeth, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court for sentence on Friday morning.
The 34-year-old had previously admitted one offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one of harassment; breach of restraining order on conviction.
Richard Edwards, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant was made the subject of the restraining order last year.
It prohibited him from making contact with his ex-partner Lucia Snell (also known as Lucia Hughes, Mr Edwards said).
But on October 18 this year, Williams and Ms Snell were speaking on the phone, which led to him attending her home to 'help with some painting.' Both drank some alcohol and the victim described how at some time during the early hours of the morning, she took some medication to help her sleep.
The next thing she knew, she was being woken by the defendant the next morning and told she needed to go to work.
But Williams also told her to look in the mirror - and when she did she noted she had bruising similar to "love-bites" on her neck which weren't there when she went to sleep.
The defendant then refused to leave when asked to, which led to the police being called and his arrest.
In interview, Williams claimed he was back in a relationship with Ms Snell and said that during the early hours as she was "in and out of consciousness through drink and medication," he started to kiss her on the neck and give her "hickeys." He accepted the victim was not fully conscious or consenting to what he was doing, and said he was surprised to see the extent of the bruising when shown a photo.
Euros Jones, defending, told the court that "This is very much a position where a reconciliation had taken place - it wasn't that he just turned up out of the blue.
They had been in a relationship.
During the night they consumed a large quantity of alcohol.
Regarding the assault, this is a prank that has very much gone wrong.
They were joking through the night that if she passed out, he'd give her a love bite.
He went over the top and was full of regret at the extent of bruising on her neck." Judge Timothy Petts told Williams: "Even on your account, she wasn't fully conscious or consenting - you gave her bruising on her neck like love bites.
There seems also to have been a degree of humiliation intended.
It's described as a prank that went wrong.
It's difficult to see how it would ever have been funny." The Judge handed down a sentence of 12 months in relation to the offences and activated two months of a suspended sentence the defendant had breached by his commission of the offences, to run consecutive.
That made a total of 14 months immediate custody.
