A man given a suspended prison sentence for assaulting his ex-partner and causing damage at her home is now behind bars.

Stewart Morrison received a six-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years, at Durham Crown Court on June 14.

The 41-year-old defendant, of Sandbach, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, had admitted charges of after he admitted assault by beating of his ex-partner, in one incident, and affray during a second confrontation.

Both offences took place when Morrison went to the woman’s home in Bowburn, County Durham, on Monday January 31 and on Thursday March 10, this year

The court heard that during the first incident he is said to have grabbed her neck and tightly squeezed it, before slapping her face three times.

He left when she rang 999, but returned weeks later, shouting abusively at her, smashing the fish tank and threatening to stab her with a piece of the broken glass.

Lewis Kerr, for Morrison, told court on his behalf that the offences stemmed from his misuse of alcohol and he would agree to attend a programme to address his issues.

Judge James Adkin told Morrison: “You are the sort of man who thinks it’s acceptable to bully women when you have been drinking.”

But he said that as the defendant does not have a bad criminal record he could suspended the sentence.

Read more: County Durham man attacked pregnant ex and smashed fish tank

As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge also ordered him to attend a six-month alcohol treatment programme and attend 20 probation-overseen rehabilitation activity days.

He also made Morrison subject to an electronically-monitored 7pm to 7am home curfew, to run for four months.

A restraining order was later added, forbidding him from approaching or contacting his former partner for five years.

Sentencing him, Judge Adkin warned Morrison that failure to comply with the ancillary orders would lead to a return to court and the prison sentence would be activated.

Little more than five weeks after the sentence was passed Morrison was back before the court for breaching the suspended sentence order.

He admitted failing to be at his home address to allow the electronically-monitored ankle tag to be fitted, on both June 15, the day after the original sentencing hearing, and three weeks later, on July 7.

Judge Ray Singh told him he received a clear warning when sentenced of the consequences of failing to comply with the order, so he could see no reason why the full six-month sentence should not be activated in full, which he did order.

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