A North Shields thug knocked a woman unconscious for no apparent reason, then pursued her in his car before crashing into a lamppost. Gary Grant, 50, previously had a relationship with the victim, and they reconnected last year, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Attack and Chase
On November 15, the pair went to a pub, where Grant behaved bizarrely, arguing with other customers. They left and went to her home. Suddenly, without provocation, he punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground and causing her to lose consciousness. The victim called her son, who found her upset, shaking, with a swollen face and a wobbly tooth.
Grant returned, leading to an altercation where he was headbutted by the son. Prosecuting, Claire Anderson said: "The defendant left the address, shouting 'wait until my son gets a hold of you' and climbed into his car. He sat outside in his Nissan Qashqai." As the victim and her son got into their vehicle, Grant performed a three-point turn and pointed his car directly at her. The son drove away, with Grant tailgating and flashing his headlights. He overtook so closely that he damaged his car and punctured a tyre, repeatedly pulling in front and braking.
Crash and Sentencing
The son called 999 at 10pm and heard a bang; Grant had lost control and collided with a lamppost. He was found to be twice the drink-drive limit. The victim, left with concussion, said in a statement: "I have been the victim of domestic violence in the past and this assault has brought back a lot of bad memories. I feel nervous at home and in public."
Grant, of Dorking Avenue, North Shields, with 39 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to assault, dangerous driving, and drink driving. Judge Roger Thomas KC said: "What brought this about, I'm not sure. For no reason whatsoever you suddenly used violence and punched her with sufficient force to knock her unconscious. All this was rather bizarre." He added that Grant drove at the car she was in while both were moving, causing a collision.
Grant received a 14-month suspended sentence for 18 years with a mental health requirement and was disqualified from driving for 12 years. His barrister offered no mitigation after the judge indicated he would not impose immediate imprisonment.
