A man has been jailed for 12 months after he assaulted his girlfriend in the street during a night out.
Steven Barry Brooke and Rebecca Day had been drinking in the Parish Pump in Kirkgate, Huddersfield, on the evening of December 12.
Nicholas Adlington prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court she described Brooke as being in a grumpy mood. At one stage he went to the toilet and another man approached her and was flirting. She did not respond but Brooke was annoyed when he got back.
Around 1am they left to get a taxi and were in Northumberland Street when they began to argue. He was captured on CCTV striking her to the head causing her to stumble.
He then struck her again to the shoulder area and grabbing her by her hair dragged her into nearby Wood Street where he threw her to the ground and kicked her on the back and then to the upper part of her body before pinning her down.
Mr Adlington said Brooke walked away when door staff went to Miss Day’s assistance. She managed to walk a few steps before collapsing unconscious. She was taken to hospital where she was found to have pain and bruising to her shoulder and ribs.
The court heard Brooke had previous convictions for assault in 2008 and a further assault in January 2015 on a man in a cinema car park.
James Gelsthorpe representing Brooke said he had left the armed services in 2000 having served four years including time in Bosnia and Kosovo and had “struggled to re-engage in civilian life.”
He found the lack of a military structure difficult and at times could not retain his anger. He was then able to channel his feelings into martial arts for several years and was “on the cusp of competing at national level in Thai boxing when he suffered an injury to his knee which made him unable to take part in that any longer.”
Brooke, 37, of Catherine Road, Sheepridge, Huddersfield admitted the assault.
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Judge James Spencer QC told him there had to be an immediate jail term since he did not appear to have learnt his lesson from previous convictions. “You are before the court for yet another incident of violence.”
“In this offence when you and your partner were out that night, for some reason, probably because you had too much to drink your mood changed and you end up knocking her down and kicking her on the ground like a sack of potatoes.”
