A new husband who assaulted his wife just weeks into their marriage had committed a similar offence on his previous wife, a court heard this week.

Mark Woodcock was at Truro Crown Court for sentencing on Friday, having pleaded guilty to assault by beating at the marital home in Penryn.

His plea came on the day his trial was due to begin last month.

The assault took place on a 59-year-old woman who he had met online in the spring of 2021. In May last year they married, but having only been back from honeymoon for a week things turned sour.

His wife, who has now reverted to her maiden name, returned home to Penryn on June 17 last year and, according to prosecutor Ed Bailey, was “immediately suspicious the defendant had been drinking.”

They had been due to go out that evening to celebrate her son’s 30th birthday, but Woodcock began saying he did not want to go and she left at 6pm on her own.

When she returned home at 8.40pm Woodcock was still there.

There was an argument over some music, before the victim tried to kiss Woodcock but he pushed her away.

“In doing so he fell to the floor,” said Mr Bailey. “She told him to get up and as he did so he punched her to the left side of her jaw.”

Having initially called the police, she then spoke to her son, who heard the defendant shouting: “It’s all your fault, I haven’t done anything.”

Woodcock was later arrested by police and photographs taken of the woman’s injuries showed bruising and reddening to her jaw.

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In interview the next day, he claimed his wife had gone off without him and he had to turn away a taxi, describing himself as “merry” on two glasses of wine.

He alleged that the victim had been “in his face” and had been holding his wrists, so feeling vulnerable he had “brushed her face away from him” and in doing so had made contact with her jaw.

His now estranged wife was in court for the sentencing, and read out her own personal impact statement, in which she described Woodcock as “very unpredictable.”

“One moment he can be charming, the next he can be very aggressive,” she said.

As a result of the assault she was now afraid of people standing behind her or to the side, including in queues.

She now took medication for depression, adding: “The assault and marriage break up has led me to feel suicidal.”

And she said: “I genuinely believe Mark Woodcock does not feel he’s done anything wrong and does not accept responsibility.”

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The prosecutor went on to tell the court that 60-year-old Woodcock had breached his police bail condition not to contact the woman, and then again when granted conditional bail by the magistrates following his initial court hearing, with phone calls, text messages, WhatsApp messages and unwanted flowers.

As a result of this he was remanded in custody for 33 days in October last year.

The court was also told that this was the second successive marriage breakdown in which he had assaulted his wife.

Althea Brooks, speaking in defence of Woodcock, said that he had physical difficulties that affected his mobility.

She said he continued to pay money towards the former matrimonial home in Penryn that they purchased together and where his estranged wife still lives. The family court was due to make a ruling over the division of assets, but divorce proceedings could not begin until 12 months after their marriage, on May 26.

Recorder Richard Mawhinney told Woodcock: “You’ve been convicted in 2012 for assaults in relation to a domestic setting, and harassment in 2014 in relation to the same domestic setting.

“I take into account your medical condition, which has impacted on the options available to me.

“I am limited because of your age and physical condition to what I can do.”

He sentenced Woodcock to a four-month curfew, from 8pm to 8pm, in which he must stay at his home in Ruan High Lanes, near Truro.

A five-year restraining order was put in place, banning him from contacting his estranged wife in any way, and going to her home address or her place of work.

Finally he ordered Woodcock to pay £400 compensation to his victim.