Angry partner smashed door

Andrew Thorpe, of Devon Road, Tyldesley, admitted criminal damage during a hearing at Wigan Magistrates’ Court.

It heard the 31-year-old single dad-of-three lost his temper when then girlfriend Melanie Chapman did not return home from her sister’s house after the school run to pick up her young son and went to visit family instead.

She had asked Thorpe to wait for her at her house, but he grew angry when she failed to show. “An argument by text ensued,” said Mr Hay. “He left her address and she returned home in the early hours of the evening. She found that the doors of her house were both open and she believed he had done it on purpose.”

A short time after Ms Chapman had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she was woken by Thorpe kicking the door in.

“She found him at the bottom of the stairs,” added Mr Hay. “She saw damage to the door and he promised to fix it.”

It was the next day, when Thorpe failed to follow through on this promise, that Ms Chapman reported him to police.

Ms Chapman told police the row started because he was trying to “control” her.

She added: “Andrew has made it so I don’t feel safe in my own home. This was heavily to do with me not doing as I am told.”

Defending, Ged Frasier said his client has no previous convictions, cautions or reprimands. A charge of common assault against Thorpe relating to the incident was withdrawn.

“He does not accept that he left her house leaving the doors open,” said Mr Frasier. “He does not accept the reason behind the arguement. There was an argument and she wouldn’t let him in the house so in temper he kicked the door and caused some damage.”

Due to his previous clean sheet, Thorpe was given a conditional discharge but ordered to pay £600 in compensation to Dominic Mills, the landlord of Ms Chapman’s house.