Deeping St James man jailed for six months over row over tattoo

A Lincolnshire man who assaulted his partner during a row over a tattoo was today (Thursday) jailed for six months.

Scott Church, 29, was originally given a community sentence after he admitted striking his partner with his forearm during the argument.

Church, of Manor Way, Deeping St James, also hit the woman with the handle of a hammer without intending to cause her injury, a court was told.

A judge sentenced Church to a Community Order with 100 hours of unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and failing to surrender to custody.

But a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court was told Church failed to engage with the Probation Service after he received the Community Sentence.

The Probation Service applied for Church to be re-sentenced for the original assault on his partner which occurred on November 30, 2022.

John Dee, prosecuting, said the incident happened after Church asked his partner to pay for a £350 tattoo which was intended as a tribute to his father.

The court heard Church became upset when his partner said she did not have enough money to pay for the tattoo as they needed money for bills.

Church used a hammer to strike the woman's favourite teddy bear and admitted recklessly striking his partner with the handle of the hammer, the court was told.

Mr Dee said Church then struck his partner in the face with his forearm leaving her with lumps to her head and a small cut to her mouth.

The court heard Church had completed 17 hours of his unpaid work but did not attend a Probation appointment on 20 December and failed to tell them he had moved address.

Leanne Summers, mitigating for Church, said he wished to continue with the Community Order but had suffered transport and medical problems.

"He was living in a very isolated area where the bus service was intermittent," Miss Summers told the court.

The court heard Church had also spent three days in prison on remand.

Miss Summers said this had acted as a "wake up call" for Mr Church.

But Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight told Church he was no longer suitable for a suspended sentence because of his lack of cooperation.

"You have chosen not to engage, you have made your choice," Judge Sjolin Knight said.

"This is a domestic assault where you assaulted your partner."