Swansea night shift worker assaulted partner 'for not ironing shirt'

A MAN assaulted his partner of 22 years after complaining she had not made his dinner properly or ironed his shirt.

Andrew Leigh Donovan, 41, had woken at 3pm after working a night shift when his partner Layla Hawkshaw brought him food in bed at 3pm.

"He told her was that the best she could do," said prosecutor Sharon Anderson.

An argument then broke out between the pair and at 5.30pm he got up and started looking for his work clothes.

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"He wasn't happy at the fact his shirt hadn't been ironed by her. He then called her a string of abusive terms.

"She shouted some similar comments back, saying she was fed up at the way she was treated," said Mrs Anderson.

As she sat on the sofa of the couple's living room, he grabbed hold of his work bag, a black holdall, and in it was a heavy metal tow hitch.

"He grabbed the bag by the handle and swung it towards her — towards the complainant. She only managed to turn her face away to protect her face and hasn't been able to get totally out of the way and the bag containing the items has struck her to the back of her head," added Mrs Anderson.

She was left with a 1in cut to her head. Donovan, of Gwili Terrace, Mayhill, went to work, but his partner needed an ambulance to take her for hospital treatment. He later admitted assault.

Mrs Anderson said that in his police interview Donovan said he lost his temper after he was unable to find any clean clothes. He said his partner, who suffered from depression, did not work and said she "slept all day".

When he was asked why he committed the offence in the interview, he replied: "I don't know, I just wanted her to listen."

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order including 12 months' supervision. He was ordered to pay his partner £100 as well as £85 in costs and a £60 victim surcharge.