REDCAR OFFENDER SENTENCED AFTER ASSAULT AND RESTRAINING ORDER BREACH

Sean McGeehin is a 52-year-old man who was sentenced to eight months in prison after he admitted to assault by beating and breach of a restraining order. The incident involved him assaulting a woman, his former partner, during an argument that lasted approximately 20 minutes. McGeehin had previously been jailed for 15 months for assaulting the same woman and causing her actual bodily harm. Despite a five-year restraining order in place, McGeehin stayed at the woman's home for seven weeks, disregarding the court order. During the incident, he called her derogatory names such as "cheeky little c***" and "fat c***", and then physically assaulted her by grabbing her by the neck and pushing her onto the bed. He threatened to "snap her jaw" and continued the assault until her son returned home, after which the woman managed to escape and contact the police. The woman expressed feeling "extremely scared and upset" and was terrified he would attack her again. The court was told that McGeehin had known her for 35 years and their relationship had been on and off previously. The court heard he was trying to support her due to her mental health issues, but the relationship had ended with no future romantic plans. McGeehin, who is from the Redcar area but of no fixed address, accepted his guilt at the earliest opportunity. Recorder Peter Makepeace sentenced him to eight months in prison and noted his statement: "I tried my hardest... rebuilt my life. I have known her 35 years - my heart overruled my head."