A MAN accused of threatening to throw his girlfriend off a cliff before hurling abuse at a dog walker and kicking his pug has now accepted all of the allegations against him.

John Ian Bridgewater was seen dragging a woman on a street in Easington Colliery, close to the County Durham coast, on Friday, April 24.

The woman shouted to a passing dog walker for help, claiming her partner was threatening to throw her from cliffs.

The dog walker rang police, but when he tried to intervene, he was sworn at by Bridgewater, who also kicked his pet pug, Bill.

At a plea hearing at Durham Crown Court last month, Bridgewater, of Boston Street, Easington Colliery, admitting assaulting the woman causing actual bodily harm with a punch to the face and using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour, to the dog walker.

However, he did not accept the other allegations and the basis of his guilty pleas were rejected by the Crown.

The case was adjourned for a trial of issue or Newton hearing but today (Tuesday, August 4) Judge Christopher Prince was told Bridgewater accepted the Crown’s outline of the offences.

Judge Prince said he would not give Bridgewater full credit for his guilty plea.

“You often find those who engage in domestic violence force the victim to come to court by giving a false account of what takes place in the hope they will not want to go through with it,” said Judge Prince.

“Well she wasn’t deterred from pursuing justice. You will receive only a ten per cent reduction for your guilty plea.”

The case was adjourned until Friday, August 28 for probation reports.

Bridgewater was remanded in custody.