Willenhall man punched lover as he was 'offended' by her suicide attempt
A man punched his former girlfriend in a drunken row because he was 'offended' she tried to commit suicide in his kitchen, a court heard.
Trevor Dodd said he and his ex-lover had been planning to move away together but when they found out she was not pregnant they went on a four-day drinking binge on brandy which led to a violent fight where he hit her with a vodka bottle.
Following the binge, the next day, the pair had another alcohol fuelled argument.
Dodd, aged 31, of Moxhull Close in Willenhall, told magistrates: "I had started drinking again that morning. I had half a bottle of vodka and two beers.
"I told her if she's going to throw everything that I do for her back in my face she can pack her bags.
"She emptied a bottle of Ibuprofen and tipped them down her throat.
"I put my hands around her throat to grab the pills out of her mouth.
"I did hit her after that.
"I was pretty offended she tried to commit suicide in my kitchen."
Dodd said before the incident they had been to the pub with his parents to tell them they were moving away and he alleged that his ex-girlfriend rowed with his mum and he had to take her outside.
Afterwards the pair left and went back home via the supermarket where they bought beer and vodka, because his ex-partner did not want to drink any more brandy, Walsall Magistrates Court was told.
But on the evening they rowed again where the dispute at the pub came up.
Mr Mark Cooper, prosecuting, said: "There was an argument over the defendant's alcohol consumption and he said if he couldn't have her then no-one could.
"He grabbed her around the neck and the struggle ended up on the floor.
"He pinned her down grabbed her around the neck.
"He punched her in the face hit her to the body with a vodka bottle.
"She was trying to fend him off."
Dodd pleaded guilty to a charge of assault by beating.
He said the next morning he could remember 80 per cent of the night before and could not rule out the possibility he may have used the vodka bottle to hit his partner.
He told the court: "I admit whole-heartedly what I did was wrong. I shouldn't have laid a hand on her."
On Monday, the case was adjourned at Walsall Magistrates' Court for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Dodd will be sentenced on June 1.
