Gateshead man with 12 children jailed for assaulting girlfriend

A father of twelve, William Tait, was involved in an assault on his girlfriend on a bus in Gateshead. The incident occurred on February 28 this year after the pair had been drinking, leading to an argument over a dog. According to prosecutor Rachel Kelly, Tait grabbed his partner by the arm and then punched her in the face, resulting in her tooth being knocked out. He also caused bruising to her arm. The victim called the police, and Tait was subsequently arrested. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Tait shouted that she had stitched him up to take their dog. William Tait has a significant criminal history with 100 previous convictions, including a 12-year sentence in 2010 for grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and a 30-month sentence in 2007 for wounding. At the time of the assault, he was on bail for an unrelated incident involving the same victim, which was not pursued. The judge sentenced him to 12 months suspended for 18 months, with additional conditions including an alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement and an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting the woman or going to her residence.