Enniskillen Court House
A 43-YEAR-OLD DERRYLIN MAN who assaulted his partner and threatened to kill her has been given a five month custodial sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to pay £500 compensation.
Richard Peacock, of Geaglum Road appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court to face the charges of threats to kill and common assault.
The prosecutor outlined that on November 24, 2014 police received a report from the injured party who told them she had been assaulted by her partner at 10.40am that morning at her home address.
She told police that Peacock had attempted to strangle her after an argument the previous weekend. Police noted swelling and bruising to the right hand side of her face, bruising to her left eye, which was turning black, swelling from cheek to cheek and reddening of the face. There was also a bump to the back of the injured party’s head and bruising to her neck and throat.
In a statement to police the victim explained she had slapped Peacock across the face, feeling she was provoked and was then struck several times across the face by the defendant.
The injured party then went to the bathroom believing her nose had been broken and was followed by Peacock who struck her again and she fell to the floor. He then put his arm around her throat stopping her from breathing.
The injured party told police she thought she was going to die and claimed the defendant said he was going to kill her. After this incident the victim asked her partner to leave the house and he did. Peacock was later arrested and was cautioned to which he made no reply.
During interview the defendant admitted grabbing his partner by the throat and hitting her and expressed remorse for his actions. Peacock told police he did not remember saying he wanted to kill the injured party. He told police he was provoked.
The court heard that the injured party was a mother-of-three, but thankfully none of the children were present at the time of the incident.
Defence solicitor Reggie Ferguson said his client accepted this was a ‘disturbing incident’ and acknowledged it was distressing for the injured party. The defence noted Peacock’s remorse during interview and his continued remorse to today. Mr Ferguson told the court Peacock was originally from England and that he and the injured party were members of the Hare Krishna community. The court heard that the two had been in a relationship for 12 months and had been living together for seven of those.
The solicitor explained that the relationship between the two had become strained, with the injured party going through a difficult divorce. On the Saturday before the incident Mr Ferguson said it was a ‘very difficult evening’ and said the injured party had been very abusive and provocative towards the defendant. He told the court on the Monday things kicked off again and accepted Peacock had behaved in an ‘aggressive and unwarranted fashion’.
The defence highlighted to the court Peacock was now living back in England and planned to return to Brighton where he had lived previously.
District judge Nigel Broderick said the courts take any incident of domestic violence very seriously, but he recognised Peacock had already served the equivalent of a month’s sentence in prison. The judge acknowledged the remorse shown by the defendant and his decision to plead guilty and spare the injured party having to give evidence in court.
The district judge said had it not been for these factors he would have imposed a custodial sentence.
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