Stressed trader attacked girlfriend while high on alcohol and prescription drugs

Westminster Magistrates’ Court
PA Archive
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UPDATE (24/10/19): On 27 September 2019, the man’s conviction was overturned after a successful appeal. The Crown Prosecution Service agreed that all charges should be dropped.

A trader’s career is in tatters after he “lost the plot” and attacked his girlfriend while high on alcohol and prescription drugs.

The man grabbed his partner and pushed her onto the bed at their Kensington home, then pulled her back into the property when she tried to call for help.

Westminster magistrates’ court heard the man had quit his job after struggling with stress and a drinking problem, and had been prescribed medication to help give up alcohol.

Prosecutor Katie Bryan said: “The defendant returned home intoxicated and was let in by the victim. He grabbed her by the arms and pushed her down.”

She said a neighbour heard the row and was told by the woman to call police, before the defendant pulled her back into the house and slammed the door.

Simeon Muir, representing the defendant, said the “high level” trader was “at an extremely difficult point in his life” at the time of the assault on April 22.

After “a difficult number of years” he had quit his job due to stress and then saw a specialist who prescribed “pioneering” medication to stop his craving for alcohol. But it caused depression as a side-effect. “On the date of the incident he was trying to wean himself off the medication and had been drinking a small amount. He suffered from a mental absence and lost the plot,” Mr Muir said.

The court heard the defendant also argued with a taxi driver on his way home and feared he was being followed. Mr Muir said he could struggle to renew his trading licence and added: “He may not have a career ahead of him if convicted.”

The man denied assault by beating but was found guilty and sentenced to a 12-month community order and 20 days in rehab, and fined £705.

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