A Swindon man assaulted his girlfriend before holding a knife to his own neck during a violent rage in front of three children, a court heard.
Bricklayer Shane Collins, 33, was arrested after police were called to the domestic at his partner’s home on Sunday evening (5 September).
The defendant, who moved in with a relative in Stratford Close, Toothill, following the incident, admitted assault by beating and criminal damage at Swindon Magistrates’ Court yesterday (7 September).
Kate Prince, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the domestic was sparked by an argument after one of their children refused to put on their seatbelt at around 4.30pm.
As a result, his girlfriend made the decision to end the relationship of around nine years. She told Collins to pack his things and leave the house whilst she took the children to a restaurant.
On her return, accompanied by her three children (of which the youngest is just ten months old), she found him sat watching the television whilst drinking alcohol.
She, again, angrily told him to pack up and leave. In response, he said: “You’ll be f**king dead tonight”, and then proceeded to smash a mirror over his own head.
Collins lunged towards his victim to scare her into thinking he would assault her, and threw beer bottles around the room before smashing his head repeatedly on the kitchen door.
He turned the door on his girlfriend, smashing it against her head. The court was shown photographs of the injury this caused – a large egg-shaped bump.
The defendant then picked up a kitchen knife and held it to his own throat, stating he would harm himself. He then ripped the sink out of place and bent two taps.
In a statement, his victim said he “loses control” and she believes “he is capable of anything”.
The court heard how Collins has smashed a patio window with a hammer and assaulted his girlfriend in the past. He was ordered to complete a building better relationships course but couldn’t due to the pandemic restricting the abilities of the probation service.
Defending, Emma Thacker said her client’s relationship has been deteriorating and over the past few months, Collins was struggling with finding and holding down regular work.
“There are two sides to every story, he was more interested in harming himself.
“She threatens him regularly, tells him to leave, but quite often it’s an empty threat made during an argument. But when she returned, she still wanted him to go, that’s when he became upset.
“He accepts he smashed the mirror over his head and hit his own head on the door. He’s kicked the door which has smacked her in the head, this was accidental. He has not threatened her with the knife, he held it to his own neck.”
Ms Thacker said for Collins, things were “spiralling out of control”, adding that his family are in the courtroom supportive of him and they know the relationship needs to end.
He was sentenced to an 18-month community order with a requirement to complete a building better relationships course. He must also carry out 150 hours unpaid work.
