Northop,Flintshire - Businessman who twice assaulted his partner was taking steroids

Published date: 21 October 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A businessman who admitted twice assaulting his partner had been taking steroids which made him aggressive and paranoid.

Andrew Waters, 38, of High Street, Northop, who runs an engineering business in Buckley, was told his case emphasised the danger of young men using steroids which completely changed their personality.

Waters had been remanded in custody for four weeks after contacting his victim in breach of his bail conditions.

But Mold Crown Court heard that loyal staff had kept the mechanical engineering company he set up 14 years ago going when he was not available, even though they were not paid.

Waters admitted a charge of common assault and one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on his partner Cassie Lee but avoided immediate imprisonment.

He received a 14 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was placed on “an onerous and demanding” rehabilitation programme to tackle temper control and domestic violence.

The judge made him the subject of a tagged curfew to keep him indoors between 7pm and 6am until January 20.

A five year restraining order was made under which he is not to approach his former partner in any way – and a third party must make contact arrangements with the children.

The order means he is not to enter Elm Drive in Mold.

Judge Niclas Parry said that it was a shocking incident of domestic violence. He had shown controlling behaviour and a demeaning attitude due to the use of steroids.

“This is a case that emphasis the danger of young men using steroids which completely changes their character,” he said.

Waters was, he said, a powerful, strong man who could have caused extremely serious injuries.

“You lost your temper and used violence on two separate occasions,” the judge said.

He had a previous conviction for assaulting another partner.

But he had pleaded guilty, he had served the equivalent of a two month sentence, it had been his first taste of custody, mercifully the injuries were not as serious as they could have been, there had been provocation and the judge said that the defendant would be sentenced on his basis of plea.

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There had been a thorough assessment of him in the pre-sentence report which showed that domestic violence issues needed to be addressed for the protection of any future partners.

He was most fortunate that Miss Lee was prepared to put the welfare of her children before her own and would allow him to see them.

The judge said he also took note of the defendant’s mental health issues and the fact that he had been sectioned under The Mental Health Act following his arrest.

Prosecuting barrister Frances Willmott told how the first incident occurred when she challenged him over kicking a bin in the garden and he threw it at her, striking her on the leg.

The second incident in May occurred when she had been preparing the children for a family day out to the zoo.

He was late coming from the gym, she rang him and when he returned home he was confrontational and said she had made a fool out of him.

There was a heated argument when he pushed his thumb into her eye and she to defend herself struck him with a brush.

She asked him to leave and slapped him in the hallway, he slapped her back, and in the kitchen she accepted picking up a pint glass and hit him to the head with it because she feared being assaulted.

He grabbed her, pushed her against the fridge door and she fell to the ground.

She hit her head on the floor and he then kicked her with force seven or eight times.

When it was over it was alleged he told her that “he loved to see her suffer” .

She ended up with bruising to her face, shoulder and back and a lump to the head.

Defending barrister Oliver King said that after his guilty plea at Caernarfon Crown Court he still loved her and believed the relationship was back on.

He had been sectioned for 11 days then went to the police voluntarily and he had then been remanded in custody.

That had given him time away from the stress of everything to think about his life.

It was clear that he had suffered “a meltdown” because of the situation he was in but after being in custody he had some clarity and knew the relationship was over.

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