EX-ROYAL NAVY SUBMARINER ASSAULTED PARTNER WHILE SHE WAS HOLDING THEIR BABY
A former submariner has been locked up after he violently assaulted his partner while she was holding their young baby in her arms.Thomas Pearson repeatedly punched and kicked his victim when he flew into a rage in their Darlington home.
The 34-year-old was arrested when neighbours alerted the police when they could hear screaming and crying coming out of the property for around 20 minutes.
Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said: “When police arrived, they heard the victim shouting ‘help me’ from inside the house.
She could be heard screaming and crying.
The officer was so concerned for her safety that one of them kicked through the door panel.
She came out of the property with the child in her arms and was visibly distressed.
Mr Dryden said the victim had blood around her mouth as a result of the attack, and she didn’t want to co-operate with the police investigation but did allow officers to take pictures of her injuries.
He added: “She did tell police that he became weird and took her phone of her.
She said she had been punched and shoved down the stairs whilst she was holding the child.
She said he turned on the gas cooker and tried to force her head towards it.
She said he had been ‘booting’ her to the face.” Pearson, of Carlow Street, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm following the attack on April 4, 2024, and a breach of bail act offence when he failed to attend his planned trial.
The prosecution offered no evidence in relation to a more serious charge of attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm and child neglect charge emanating out of the same incident.
Robin Patton, mitigating, said his client had served for four years in the Royal Navy where he worked as a submariner.
He added: “He is truly sorry for the situation he has created but the way he characterised it is that he is ashamed of his behaviour and it is likely that somebody like him, who is used to working in difficult circumstances, is ashamed of his behaviour.” Judge Peter Armstrong told Pearson that the seriousness of his offending meant only a custodial sentence was appropriate for the former Darlington man.
He said: “You ended up losing your temper, shouting at her and injured her by punching and kicking her to the face, pushing her down some stairs while she had a baby in her arms.
This was a very unpleasant incident.” Pearson was jailed for eight months for both offences.
