Teen who stamped on girlfriend's head FIVE times avoids jail

A Wigan teenager has avoided jail after stamping on his ex-girlfriend's head FIVE times during a row sparked by her ignoring his calls.
Callum WareingCallum Wareing
Callum Wareing

Callum Wareing, an 18-year-old groundworker from Rose Avenue in Beech Hill, was sentenced at Wigan Magistrates’ Court to 90 days imprisonment suspended for a year after being found guilty of assaulting his ex-partner and sending her a string of abusive Snapchat messages.

The court heard how Wareing pleaded guilty to sending messages to the victim, Jodie Walsh Turner, and threatening to kill her by “smashing her head with a hammer and cutting her face”.

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But Wareing, who was branded a “hot-head” in the court, denied the charge of assault by beating but was found guilty by magistrates earlier this month after a four-hour trial.

Wigan domestic violence charity, The DIAS centre, said it was “surprised” by the non-custodial sentence but has commended the bravery of Wareing’s victim in standing up in court to give evidence and said that it is a good outcome that he was found guilty.

At the sentencing prosecutor Carl Gaffney told the court how the assault occurred last May after Wareing’s ex-girlfriend blocked his number from her phone.

She received another 15 calls from an unknown number before Wareing, enraged, turned up at her friend’s house where she was that evening.

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Mr Gaffney said: “She was sitting on the floor when the defendant knocks on the door. He was allowed in and he ran in shouting ‘who the **** do you think you are ignoring my calls?’ He grabs her by the hair and stamps on her head five times before dragging her across the room by her hair.”

The court then heard how Ms Turner went to her cousin’s house, where the defendant also turned up but was not let in.

Ms Turner gave evidence at her ex-boyfriend’s trial on April 7 and also gave a statement saying that she was “concerned for her safety” following the text messages. She suffered bruises to her arms and her hands, but nothing to her head that needed “serious medical attention”.

Despite the relatively minor injuries, Mr Gaffney said that the “gravity of the case is in the manner of the assault”.

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Peter Moran, defence solicitor for Mr Wareing, told the court that some of the facts surrounding the assault are “disputed”.

“We are dealing with a young man who has found his first proper relationship”, he said. “None of the threats would have been carried out but were said in the heat of the moment. He is hard-working and respectable in many other ways.”

Magistrates were told how the relationship between the youngsters had become “toxic” in their year of dating, and that it was “mis-managed” by both parties.

They retired from the bench twice before returning with a sentence. Alongside the suspended jail sentence, Wareing was given 125 hours of unpaid work, rehabilitation activity requirements, and was ordered to pay £250 in compensation to Ms Turner as well as a £120 victim surcharge.

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He is also subject to a restraining order which bans him from contacting Ms Turner in any way, including visiting her residential street.

Mrs Wildon, chair magistrate, said: “It was an extremely serious case of domestic violence. First you made threats to kill Jodie and then you assaulted her for no apparent reason. You were found guilty for stamping on her head and dragging her by her hair. We accept this was done when you were a youth. You have shown no remorse for your actions.”

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