A man who broke his now ex-partner’s shoulder rang her asking her to change her police statement relating to the incident after he received a court summons.

Durham Crown Court was told that after she asked him to sleep downstairs, on February 19 last year, Trevor Ward pinned the woman to the bed and punched her about the body and head.

Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, said the victim told Ward she intended to ring the police to report the attack, but he took her mobile phone.

She followed him downstairs, trying to retrieve the phone, but when she attempted to take it from his pocket in the kitchen he turned and pushed her, causing her to fall onto a metal washing clothes horse and then to the floor.

The victim went to Darlington Memorial Hospital suffering multiple soft tissue injuries and the fractured shoulder, for which she had to wear a sling.

Miss Buck said Ward was interviewed at Darlington Police Station and accepted having been in a verbal confrontation, but claimed his then partner was the aggressor, due to alcohol consumption.

Following police inquiries into the incident a postal requisition was sent to the defendant, on January 20 this year, informing him he was to be prosecuted and would have to attend court.

Several days later in a long phone call Ward told the complainant she could change her account over how her shoulder was injured, suggesting she told police it was an accident caused when they were “wrestling”.

He told her that if she maintained her original account he was at risk of receiving a prison sentence.

But she refused to change her version of events and immediately rang the police to report what Ward had suggested.

When questioned Ward claimed he spoke to her about other matters but denied asking her to change her account as to how her shoulder injury was caused.

Miss Buck said Ward told police that he did not know, “what game she was playing” but repeated that he did not ask her to lie.

He then made no comment to further police questions.

The 40-year-old defendant indicated a guilty plea to unlawfully and maliciously wounding at a magistrates’ court hearing in March.

Appearing at the crown court today (Tuesday July 19), Ward, of Tornado Close, Bedale, also admitted doing an act tending or intended to pervert the course of justice.

Jane Waugh, in mitigation, provided a character testimonial to the court on her client’s behalf and said he is only “lightly convicted”, with only an old offence of assault from his teenage years on his record.

She said he has tried to get on with his life and continue to work, so he would be able to pay compensation to the victim, who she understood is due to be married to someone else next week.

Miss Waugh added that Ward is “very sorry” about the injury caused to the complainant.

Read more: Figures show North East's rise in domestic abuse cases

Judge Ray Singh told Ward that having “vented your anger and frustration” on the complainant, causing the injuries including the shoulder fracture, he made, “a fairly concerted attempt to try to get her to withdraw her allegations in a manipulative way.”

The judge said: “It was subtly designed to prevent her from giving evidence to police.

“It didn’t work, as she immediately contacted police.”

But he told the defendant that as he had, “not troubled the court” for some time, he could suspended the 11-month prison sentence for two years.

Ward must, however, observe a four-month electronically-monitored home curfew, between 7pm and 6am, and attend 20 probation-led rehabilitation activity days.

He was also ordered to pay the victim £2,000 compensation at the rate of £200 per month.

A restraining order prohibits him from contacting or approaching his former partner for the next five years.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054