A terrified 11-year-old boy was forced to tell a 999 operator “my dad is hitting my mum” after witnessing a brutal attack at his home in the middle of the night.
Darren Pickup, 43, threw his partner and the mother of his two children onto a staircase before punching her repeatedly in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Pickup, of Chestnut Close, Prescot , pleaded guilty to assault at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court today.
The court heard the boy’s 13-year-old sister also spoke to the 999 operator, claiming her mum has been “put into the street” and pleading for the police to “hurry up.”
The court heard officers arrived on the scene shortly after 3am.
Amanda Roberts, prosecuting, said: “The complainant told police the defendant had taken off and locked her out of the address. He had pushed her onto the stairs causing her to bang her head.
“The victim then said he had punched her in the ribs. Her daughter also said her dad had punched her mum around four or five times.”
Pickup, who appeared in court wearing a black Adidas jacket, was arrested shortly afterwards in an “agitated and aggressive” state, the court heard.
Ms Roberts said he told police his partner had punched him.
The court heard Pickup could have a suspended prison sentence of 22 weeks activated after an assault on the victim’s oldest daughter, from a previous relationship, on April 11.
The court heard he had slapped the 21-year-old woman and attempted to strangle her in the attack before breaking her mobile phone.
Charlotte Pringle, defending, asked for sentencing to be adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
She said her client had been engaging well with the Probation Service until the latest offence.
Deputy District Judge Stott told Pickup: “You did not land just one punch, blow or slap. This was a sustained attack in which you forced your 11-year-old son to call the police at 3am.”
He agreed to adjourn the case until November 5.
Judge Stott denied bail and remanded Pickup in custody to prevent any further harm to the victim.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/