A Shanklin man previously convicted of assaulting Police has appeared in court charged with using violence to secure entry to his ex-girlfriend’s property.
Robert Church, 32, of Steephill Road in Shanklin appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Thursday morning charged with using violence to secure entry to a premises and criminal damage – offences committed whilst serving an 18-month suspended sentence for injuring 3 Police officers in April 2020.
The court heard that on 17th April this year Church turned up at his girlfriend’s house in School Street, Ryde and climbed on a wall to knock on the window of a flat. He was trying to access the property to retrieve his belongings after splitting with his girlfriend of over 2 years, but he was told to go away.
Ann Smout, prosecuting, described how just 30 minutes later Robert became violent and kicked the front door in, forcing the security chain to break and the door to fling open, causing around £200 of damage.
Defending, James Cameron said his client recognised that alcohol played a part in the offences and if he hadn’t of been drinking, it simply wouldn’t have happened. Church denies being an alcoholic though.
Robert Church, who has appeared in court in 2009, 2014 and 2020, will now serve 10 weeks in custody as Magistrates activated half of his suspended sentence. He has been fined £120 for the criminal damage and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £34 surcharge. There is no separate penalty for the use of violence to secure entry.
Come on, IE, surely you know better than that!
It’s ‘hadn’t have been drinking’, NOT ‘hadn’t of been drinking’.