Man sorry for violent attack

AN ANGRY young man was given a second chance after launching a violent attack on his on-off girlfriend.

Prosecutor Godfried Duah urged magistrates to jail Gary Everett for the flurry of kicks and punches he landed during the frenzied assault.

But magistrates decided Everett, who had admitted actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing, should be given the chance to learn to control his temper.

Mr Duah told South East Suffolk Magistrates court how an argument in August led to Everett losing his temper and launching the violent attack.

He landed punches to the woman's face and then kicked her after she fell to the ground.

Mr Duah said she needed paramedic treatment for swelling around her left eye and bruises and grazes to her left arm.

The court was told Everett had a number of past convictions, including assault in September, 2002.

Mr Duah said he was still subject to a 12-month community imposed for the September attack.

And he urged magistrates to use the full six-month sentencing powers at their disposal.

Nikki Miller, mitigating, said Everett was genuinely sorry for the attack and stressed how co-operative he had been with the police investigation.

She said he accepted he was in a bad mood on the day in question and that he had completely overreacted during the argument.

Mrs Miller said Everett also alleged the woman waved a knife in his face before he attacked her.

She said: "He accepts this is something of a problem he has to deal with, it can't be described as a one-off incident.

"A custodial sentence would provide punishment for Mr Everett, but would not allow him to address the problems he has in relation to this incident."

Magistrates agreed with Mrs Miller and imposed a community punishment order of 100 hours.

They also ordered him to undergo a 100-hour community rehabilitation order, pay £100 compensation and £100 costs.