Man jailed for ‘prolonged and sustained’ attack on drunk girlfriend

Gary Anderson was handed a two-and-a-half year sentence after he admitted assaulting the woman and causing her actual bodily harm. From Montrose Place, the east Belfast man was informed he will serve half his sentence in jail, with the remaining half on licence when he is released.

Before Judge McFarland sentenced the father-of-two at Belfast Crown Court, he was told by a prosecutor that the incident started in a social club in east Belfast on January 9 last year.

Anderson and the woman - who at that point had only been in a relationship for a short period - had been drinking in the club, and also present was Anderson’s brother.

The Crown prosecutor said Anderson “became jealous” his girlfriend was sitting beside his brother which led to a fight between the two men. When the girlfriend tried to intervene, she was struck twice by Anderson.

The couple then left the social club and made their way to a taxi office on the Newtownards Road. In an incident which was captured on CCTV, Anderson smashed her mobile on the ground then “manhandled her and threw her around the office”.

The footage showed the woman being thrown to the ground on several occasions.

Anderson subsequently pleaded guilty to five offences including assaulting both his girlfriend and another person.

Judge McFarland told Anderson: “In my view the assault was vicious. She was pushed to the ground on numerous occasions and then on the ground, you kicked her and held her down.”