Wigan man gave partner a black eye after drunken argument

Kieran Bibby punched his girlfriend in the face after a heated argument, before running ahead of her to confront her at home.

He then waited for her outside her flat, which she had explicitly told him not to go to, and damaged the front door when she refused to let him in.

The 28-year-old of Glebe Road, Standish, was unrepresented by a solicitor when he appeared at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court. He was found guilty of assault after a trial.

The court heard how the victim had been in a relationship at the time of the incident, which took place last August. They had attended a family wedding together on August 26, which Bibby had left after the pair had an argument.

She found him in a nearby pub, but he refused to go with her when she asked him to.

But Bibby soon had a change of heart and chased after her, shouting and hurling abuse, even calling the woman fat.

Not satisfied with his torrent of abuse, he then smashed a glass bottle which he had taken from the pub, in a bid to intimidate his partner.

He made no attempt to use the broken bottle as a weapon, and left her to walk home on her own. Prosecutor Katie Beattie told justices how, when the woman rang Bibby’s mobile to tell him he was not welcome at her flat, she unintentionally revealed she would be going to her mother’s house.

Knowing where her mum lived, Bibby then traced his girlfriend’s steps, finding her mid-route on Montrose Avenue.

He punched her in the right eye before running off.

Stunned by the vicious attack, the lady then called a friend to collect her and take her back home, where they found Bibby sat outside her door on the landing.

After she entered the flat without allowing him to as well, he began kicking and banging on the door - a barrage which lasted around 10 to 15 minutes.

Police were called to the scene and Bibby was taken into custody.

In a Victim Impact statement read out in court, the woman said: “I have been a victim of domestic violence before and can’t believe this has happened again.

“I don’t know if I can trust a man ever again.”

A member of the probation service told the bench: “(Bibby) maintains that the assault didn’t happen but accepts he was found guilty at trial.

“He says there were quite often arguments between the couple.

“He expressed little remorse, saying ‘I just wish I didn’t know her.’

“The level of victim empathy is just not there at all.”

Bibby was fined £285 and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work alongside 15 days of rehabilitation.

He was also given a restraining order against his former partner.