Man attacked his ex-partner (From York Press)

Man attacked his ex-partner

8:53am Thursday 9th February 2012 in News By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

A DRUNK man broke into his former partner’s home as she slept, then attacked her in front of their children, York magistrates heard.

Steven Ovenden, prosecuting, said Daniel Paul Kitchen, 25, could not accept that his five-year relationship with Charlotte Houlden was over.

At 11.30pm, two hours after she had gone to bed, she awoke to find him, drunk, standing by her bedside.

“He hit her hard on the head and around the forehead,” said Mr Ovenden. Kitchen also broke part of a partition wall in the flat by punching it.

The noise woke their children, who came in to the room.

Kitchen had previously assaulted a different ex-partner, the court heard.

Senior magistrate Pauline Wilkinson told him: “The assault was protracted and in front of your children.”

She said he deserved a prison sentence, but they had to think about what he may do to other partners in the future. “The protection of women and children, both in the present and the future is the most important objective,” she said.

They ordered Kitchen to do a domestic violence rehabilitation course as part of a two-year community order, which also included two years’ supervision, 200 hours’ unpaid work and lessons on how to drink responsibly.

They ordered him to pay £250 compensation to Ms Houlden through the court and made an indefinite restraining order, which bans him from having any contact with her directly or indirectly or going near her home or place of work.

Unemployed Kitchen, of Munster House, Townend Street, The Groves, pleaded guilty to assault, criminal damage and possession of cannabis, which was found on him when he was arrested shortly after the attack.

His solicitor, Martin Hawes, said Kitchen had no idea why he had gone to Ms Houlden’s flat that night and no memory of events at her home.

“He realises he cannot continue to behave in this fashion,” he said.

Kitchen had been honest with the police about his actions, which may have been the result of problems in his distant past, he said.

Ms Houlden suffered a cut and other injuries, the court heard.