A chef who put his hands around his partner’s throat and forced her head out of the bathroom window only stopped when their young child intervened.

Lee Angove, aged 48, who gave his address as Turnpike Road, Connor Downs near Hayle had already pleaded guilty to assault by beating and intentional strangulation of his partner when he appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday.

The court heard that between June 30 and August 1, 2022 there was a family barbecue at the home of Angove and the complainant.

He was under the influence of alcohol when there was a dispute between the couple over a bottle of alcohol and he pushed and shoved her before punching her twice in the chest causing her to fall onto the bottom of the stairwell.

The prosecution said she went upstairs where she confronted him and asked him why he had done it. He then grabbed her throat with his right hand and squeezed hard.

“He forced her back to the bathroom window where he held her by her throat with her head out of the bathroom window leaving the complainant really scared that he might push her completely out of the window,” he said.

“The couple’s child shouted ‘stop’ and Angove then threw the woman to the ground and she hit the bathtub on the way down.”

In October 2022 Angove made negative remarks about her appearance before throwing a packet of crisps at her and pushing her to the ground.

The incident was once more witnessed by the couple’s child who stood between them and again told him to leave their mum alone.

In an impact witness statement the woman said she was a shadow of her former self following the incidents.

She had become more timid and introverted. She said she started feeling worthless, believing things he’d been saying about her.

“I felt lonely and lost a lot of my friends due to him,” she said. “My family wouldn’t visit due to him. I felt nervous when he came home, anxious, stomach ache all the time.”

She said she felt uncomfortable and scared in her own home as to how she would be treated. She said she was scared what her child might see and Angove was always drunk and she hated her child seeing that.

Angove’s defence barrister said that his client would like to publicly apologise for his behaviour and was clearly remorseful and ashamed and accepts what he did was very, very wrong. He had been a chef for over 30 years.

Sentencing Angove to a 24 month community order, the Judge said he had displayed a pattern of belittling and abusive behaviour.

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Most seriously they were committed in front of his young child who tried to intervene to protect their mother.

He said there was no doubt that it had had a serious impact on the child and its mother.

He said he had taken into account Angove’s remorse and willingness to tackle his problems with alcohol abuse in his sentencing.

During the community order he must undergo mental health treatment of 12 sessions, an alcohol treatment requirement of six months and 30 days to undergo the skills for relationships toolkit and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

A restraining order was also imposed.

He was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £300.