A DRUG-fuelled argument which led to a man striking his partner with a dog lead was caught on voicemail after the defendant accidentally called someone during the incident, a court has heard.
Simon Stevens, of Priory Street, Colchester, admitted one charge of assault by beating after he used to the weapon to strike his partner of eight years, Haylee Lee, on December 19 last year.
He denied three separate charges of actual bodily harm.
The court heard how Stevens had ingested what Judge Talbot-Hadley described as “a pretty poor cocktail” of crack cocaine and alcohol before the incident took place.
After being arrested on December 27, Stevens, 47, told officers the alcohol and drugs meant he had no recollection of the incident.
At Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, Jack Coyne outlined the prosecutions case whilst Stevens watched proceedings via video link from HMP Chelmsford.
Mr Coyne said: “This was a domestic violence offence.
“On December 19 last year, Stevens went round to Miss Lee’s property and an altercation took place following a verbal argument during which he hit Miss Lee with a dog lead.
“In an interview, Stevens did make full admission of this, but said he had bought three bottles of vodka and taken crack cocaine before seeing her, and couldn’t remember what happened.
“During the altercation, he accidentally called someone and the altercation was accidentally heard in a voice recording.”
But the court heard how the case of Stevens’ assault would not even have reached court had it not been for a member of the victim’s family reporting the incident to the police.
Mr Coyne continued: “Miss Lee has never been supportive of a conviction – it was reported to the police by a family of hers.
“That’s how it came to the attention of the police.”
He continued: “Miss Lee provided a supportive statement to say she is on good terms with Stevens."
Judge Talbot-Hadley said that because Stevens had been held in custody for more than seven weeks, he had served much of his punishment.
She said: “Drink and drugs are a pretty poor cocktail in a domestic situation and it can lead to situations like these.”
Stevens will have £154 deducted from his benefit payments.
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