54-year-old sentenced to four months in prison
A planned wedding proposal escalated into a drunken argument which ended in an assault, a court’s heard.
Fifty-four-year-old Derek Michael Christopher Bird, whose address was given as care of the Isle of Man Prison, appeared before magistrates at Douglas courthouse via a live video link.
At a previous hearing, he’d pleaded not guilty to assaulting a woman on 29 July in her flat on Ballafurt Road in Port Erin.
However, he changed his plea after a pre-trial review had been held.
Prosecution advocate James Robinson told the hearing Bird had bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate his engagement, but drank it quickly and told his girlfriend to go to the shop for more wine after he changed his mind about asking her to marry him.
A drunken argument started over visiting the beach, and Bird turned violent – grabbing his partner by the neck and shouting abuse at her.
He also threw the box with the engagement ring at his girlfriend, and she responded by throwing it out of the bathroom window.
Magistrates said the assault was aggravated by the facts Bird’s victim was his partner and the attack had taken place inside her home.
Bird was sent to prison for four months.
Thresholds for first time buyers schemes need addressing, says commissioner
'Specialist training' for teachers delivering Sex Ed classes
Lack of resources impacting charities registering with AG
Ramsey Community Hub to install new bench made out of felled cherry tree
Average time to answer 999 call remains at 1.5 seconds in March
Community service for Onchan man who was found asleep at wheel
