A man has been jailed for 18 months after he was convicted of an assault on his wife which left her with broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Andrew Lawrence, 54, recently of the Huddersfield Methodist Mission in Lord Street, was unanimously found guilty by a jury at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Tues) of inflicting grievous bodily harm to Christine Lawrence.
Leeds Crown Court heard an ambulance was called for Mrs Lawrence by a neighbour who saw here in the garden of her home i n Rawthorpe on April 3 last year.
Chloe Hudson, prosecuting, told the jury she was in her nightdress and not breathing properly and at that time blamed her husband for punching her.
They had been married many years but living apart for two although he was a regular visitor. That day he had brought round a bottle of white rum and they were drinking together.
Having been taken to hospital Mrs Lawrence discharged herself but was then found struggling to breathe by her family and was again admitted to hospital.
Leeds Crown Court Miss Hudson said she then subsequently gave an account that she had blacked out and did not remember anything that had happened to her in the house earlier.
Her husband denied punching her and claimed he was not a violent man and loved his wife – but the jury rejected his account.
Jailing Lawrence, Judge Simon Phillips QC said: “This was on any view a serious attack upon this lady. The consultant surgeon who assisted her described multiple rib fractures to the left side of the chest.”
He said one of the three ribs fractured to that side had likely caused the punctured lung which could have been life threatening if not treated.
The judge said it was fortunate having discharged herself that Mrs Lawrence was subsequently persuaded to be readmitted.
He said the jail term for her husband would no doubt come as unpleasant news to her since she had chosen not to be a complainant in the case but he told the jury she was clearly a victim.
