A YOUNG dad has been warned to ‘break the cycle’ of domestic abuse to stop his son appearing in court facing the same charge.

James Fleming left his partner with a broken wrist after he punched and kicked her when he came home drunk.

The 22-year-old also picked up her iPhone 11 and smashed it on the ground causing £300 worth of damage to its screen.

Teesside Crown Court heard how his victim escaped to her sister’s house before the police came and arrested the father-of-one following the attack on December 21 last year.

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In a victim impact statement taken the day after the attack, the woman said: “At the moment I don’t know how I feel; I feel numb and I am in pain with my injuries.

“I’m glad it is over and I am safe. I am frightened of him when he is like that – I hope he can get help.”

Judge Christopher Smith sentenced Fleming to a two-year community order to address his offending and tackle his ‘temper’ problem.

He said: “This is an unpleasant piece of domestic violence and you know yourself how that can impact on people because I read from the pre-sentence report that you grew up in a house where there was domestic violence.

“You need to break the cycle so that your child isn’t caught up in the same, so that your child isn’t in the dock in 20 years’ time saying - ‘well my dad was guilty of it’.”

Martin Towers, prosecuting, told the judge how Fleming launched the attack after he followed the victim into the living room where he pushed her to the chest and she fell to the floor.

Reading from the woman’s statement to police, Mr Towers added: “I remember hitting my head on the sofa, he fell to the floor as well. He got up and while I was lying on the floor he started kicking me.

“I had my arms up trying to protect my head but I can’t remember where because it all happened that fast.”

Fleming, of Ingleby Close, Eston, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm and criminal damage as a result of the violent incident.

Robert Mochrie, in mitigation, said Fleming’s partner hopes he gets help for his issues and wants to rekindle their relationship as soon as his bail conditions come to an end.

The court heard how the victim had tried to retract her statement before Fleming entered his guilty pleas.

Fleming was ordered to attend 46 rehabilitation activity requirement days and perform 120 hours of unpaid work.

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