Wrexham,North Former policeman from Wrexham slapped and punched his wife

Published date: 28 October 2015 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A FORMER policeman has been sentenced after he was found guilty of three counts of assault against his ex-wife.

Stuart David Hawkey, 53, of Heol Dafydd, Wrexham, appeared at Welshpool Magistrates Court yesterday for sentence after he was found guilty at an earlier trial.

Justin Espie, prosecuting, said Hawkey had slapped and punched his wife, Christine Hawkey, at their home in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant in Powys on March 25 and she had made an email entry about the incident.

On May 30 another incident occurred when he grabbed her by the neck, pushed her around which caused pain to her ribs and squeezed her left arm causing her pain.

He then threw her on the stairs where she received a scratch on her arm and suffered bruising. She left the house and walked for two hours and sat in a bus stop, scared to return home.

On July 11 Hawkey was deleting pictures of injuries that Mrs Hawkey had taken, and on this occasion he twisted her finger, causing her pain.

On July 12 family members were at the house with Mrs Hawkey and asked Hawkey to leave.

Mr Espite read out a victim impact statement from Mrs Hawkey who said she felt at an all-time low, had lost her confidence and felt isolated. She was struggling to sleep and had become stressed after Hawkey then befriended one of her friends via social media.

Stuart Flood, defending, said his client was a former police officer in the Crewe and Nantwich area and was surprised he had been involved in incidents like this.

He said Hawkey met his wife in September, 2013 through their shared interest in golf and married in September 2014, buying a cottage in Llanrhaeadr, with Hawkey overseeing the development of the property, while Mrs Hawkey worked.

He handed various character references to the court and said the incidents were “out of character”.

Mr Flood said Hawkey had been in two previous marriages longer than his current one and there was no problems in those marriages.

Magistrates placed Hawkey on a 12 month community order and ordered him to carry out 20 days of rehabilitation, 80 hours of unpaid work and put in a restraining order on him for two years.

He was also told to pay £175 for injuries caused, £600 for Mrs Hawkey’s loss of earnings, prosecution costs of £620, a court charge of £520 and a victim surcharge of £60.