STEVEN CLEARS

HOLTON WOMAN HITS PARTNER WHILE HE WAS ASLEEP ON THE SOFA

A MOTHER-OF-TWO who attacked her partner while he was asleep on a sofa and pushed him down some stairs has walked free from court.

Carole Garner, 41, had been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of partner Steven Clears, and he had two cautions and a conviction for assaulting her, Ipswich Crown Court heard on Monday.

Garner, of Orchard Valley, Holton, near Halesworth, admitted two offences of common assault on Clears and was given a two-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and made the subject of a six-month supervision order.

She was also ordered to attend a six-day Women's Emotional Well Being programme.

Sentencing her, Judge John Holt said Garner had no previous convictions for violence and said he had read a letter from the group Lighthouse, which supports victims of domestic violence, which put the offences into context.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, said Garner and Clears had been in a relationship since 1998.

"It is a relationship which has been punctuated by domestic violence," he said.

Clears has been convicted of assaulting Garner and he claimed he had been on the receiving end of violence from her.

On April 5 last year, Garner had pushed Clears down the bottom three steps of a staircase during a row, causing bruising to his leg.

On May 12, Clears had fallen asleep on the sofa and had woken to find Garner repeatedly striking him on the head.

Steven Dyble, for Garner, said his client denied being previously violent towards Clears.

He said the couple were no longer living together.