Security guard attacked girlfriend at Sainsbury’s supermarket

The victim suffered a broken cheekbone after being punched in the face by Stephen Williams in a car parked outside the Sainsbury’s store on Church Street.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday, August 8, that the couple first met in 2019 and that the 42-year-old defendant moved into his girlfriend’s home in Culcheth around three months later.

But the relationship soon became ‘volatile and toxic’, and when an argument erupted between the pair in November that year Williams took hold of a knife and threatened to rip up her coat with the blade.

The dad then proceeded to tear the jacket with his hands before throwing it across the room.

After taking the coat to an alteration shop to be repaired 10 days later on the afternoon of November 23 2019, they rowed again over who should pay the £25 bill.

Their arguing continued during a trip to the supermarket, with a further dispute over who should pay for the shopping.

Having returned to the car park, Williams viciously struck her in the face inside the vehicle – fracturing her left cheekbone and leaving her needing corrective surgery.

In a statement read out to the court on her behalf, she described herself as previously being a ‘strong and confident woman’ but was ‘now full of self-doubt’ as a result of the attack.

Defence barrister Martine Snowdon said: “This is a sentence that could and should be suspended because there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

“He plays an important role in his 10-year-old daughter’s life – he is an involved and doting father, and his mother also depends on him.

“This is effectively a lifetime of hard work in an industry where one has to demonstrate calmness and an ability to resolve disputes and deescalate situations.

“That’s how he has behaved for many years, if not for the entirety of his adult life.

“He’s extremely disappointed to find himself in this situation, because he knows how well he has previously dealt with challenging situations.

“The relationship was unusual and unique in its toxicity, and the way he behaved was extremely out of character for him.”

Williams, of Stockport, was found guilty of wounding and criminal damage after a trial at Warrington Magistrates Court in January this year and then unsuccessfully attempted to appeal his conviction in the crown court in June.

He sobbed in the dock before recorder Patrick Goodhall handed him a 12-month imprisonment suspended for a year.

Sentencing via video link, the judge said: “It’s clear that the relationship soon became volatile.

“I accept that the assault was impulsive and relatively short-lived – however, the offences involved domestic violence and this sort of conduct is rightly regarded as particularly serious by the courts.

“Not only did she suffer a fractured cheekbone, but it’s clear that this has had and continues to have a significant impact on her both physically and psychologically.

“I cannot ignore the fact that you express little remorse for your actions – it seems clear that you have little awareness of the suffering caused and seek to minimise your behaviour and its consequences.

“I’m satisfied that the custody threshold has been passed.

“However, having weighed up all the factors – and considering the realistic prospect of rehabilitation and the harmful impact of a custodial sentence on your 10-year-old daughter – the term of imprisonment will be suspended for 24 months.

“If in the next 24 months you commit any offences, you will be brought back to court and the sentence is very likely to be brought into operation.”

Williams, who has nine previous convictions for 10 offences, will be required to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days.

He was also told to pay £1,500 of compensation, £500 in court costs, a £400 fine and a victim surcharge.

Recorder Goodhall imposed a restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex for the next five years.