EVEN though a Stratford man’s partner gave evidence in his favour after he was charged with assaulting her in the street, he was convicted after the incident was captured on CCTV.
And after a judge at Warwick Crown Court had watched the recording, and heard that Christopher Campbell was in breach of a suspended sentence, he jailed him for a total of 14 months.
Campbell, 39, of Hodgson Road, Stratford, had pleaded not guilty to assaulting his partner by beating her.
Even though she gave evidence on his behalf, magistrates found him guilty after watching the CCTV recording.
And he was then sent to the crown court to be sentenced because he was in breach of a suspended sentence imposed there in September last year for an offence of robbery.
Playing the recording at the crown court, prosecutor Thomas Duggan said the couple were walking along the street in Stratford town centre in March when they began to argue.
His partner walked away, but Campbell followed her and grabbed hold of her, pushing her against railings at the side of the road.
As a result of what was said, she got out her phone to show him something, and after looking at it he snatched if from her and threw it down on the ground.
As Campbell began to walk away, his partner pointed down at her phone, at which he spat in her face.
The police had been alerted by the CCTV operator, and Campbell, who Judge Anthony Potter observed had ‘a thoroughly unattractive record,’ was arrested.
Mr Dugan added Campbell had 34 convictions for 79 offences, and at the time was subject to a suspended sentence imposed at the court in September last year for robbery.
Andrew Wilkins, defending, said his partner was at court supporting Campbell.
Asking for him to be given ‘a final chance, Mr Wilkins said that during the incident Campbell had been trying to stop her self-harming and sending offensive messages about self-harming.
But Judge Potter told Campbell: “People who spit at women are a disgrace. Those who do so during a pandemic, when there is concern about Covid and other diseases, are even more of a disgrace.
“And you committed this offence when you were subject to a suspended sentence order,” he added, jailing him for four months for the assault, consecutive to ten months of the suspended sentence.
