A JEALOUS boyfriend dragged his partner out of the Suffolk pub where she worked and held a penknife towards her face after learning that she was seeing someone else, a court has heard.

Jane Hunt

A JEALOUS boyfriend dragged his partner out of the Suffolk pub where she worked and held a penknife towards her face after learning that she was seeing someone else, a court has heard.

Joe Wilkinson, 30, had been in a relationship with Emily Pepper for two years and was “angry and frustrated” when she refused to tell him the name of her new boyfriend, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

On September 19 Miss Pepper had gone to work at the Maldon Grey pub in Sudbury and while she was there she had received a number of “menacing” text messages from Wilkinson, including one which said, “I hope it was worth it. Do you like blood?” said Ros Jones, prosecuting.

At about 6.30 pm she was in the pub kitchen when Wilkinson had come in and pulled her outside towards a car park.

Wilkinson, who had been living with Miss Pepper in Great Cornard, was holding a penknife towards her face and told her, “There's going to be throats split tonight.”

Miss Pepper had screamed at Wilkinson to get off her and the pub landlord and a chef had come running out to see what was going on, said Mr Jones.

Wilkinson had turned to walk away but had then grabbed hold of Steven Watmough and pushed him against a fence before swinging at his face with the penknife.

As a result of the attack Mr Watmough suffered a slash wound to his cheek measuring 2cm long by 1cm deep which needed four stitches.

Wilkinson, of Holmes Road, Halstead, admitted unlawfully wounding Mr Watmough, possessing an offensive weapon and assault by beating on Miss Pepper.

Judge David Goodin told Wilkinson the offences comfortably crossed the custody threshold but he felt able to suspend the 12 month prison sentence for two years.

He also made Wilkinson the subject of a 26 week curfew order and ordered him to do 250 hours unpaid work in the community. He also ordered him to pay �250 compensation to Mr Watmough.

Joanne Eley, for Wilkinson, who has no previous convictions, said he had very little recollection of the incident which caused the knife to come into contact with Mr Watmough's face.

She said the attack wasn't premeditated and there was no suggestion that Wilkinson thought Mr Watmough was the person Miss Pepper was having a relationship with.

“It is rather unfortunate but he seems to have borne the brunt of the defendant's frustration and anger towards Miss Pepper because of her refusal to name the person she was in a relationship with,” said Miss Eley.