Pensnett boss spared jail to protect trainees' jobs

At Wolverhampton Crown Court, Nicholas Austin, who has a barbershop on High Oak, was convicted of punching and kicking his girlfriend ina sustained attack.

Recorder Stuart Sprawson told Austin, aged 27, it was only the fact he had two trainee employees that had prevented him from going straight behind bars.

He said what Austin had done to Hannah Hudson was "brutal, domineering and bullying" and added: "You deliberately sought to harm her on a number of occasions."

The Recorder said Austin had carried out a totally unprovoked attack on Miss Hudson and he went on: "She suffered great pain and it must have been an extremely traumatic experience for her."

Austin, he said, had then denied the assault and forced Miss Hudson to go through the ordeal of reliving the incident as she gave evidence to the jury at his trial.

He told Austin, of Hastings Court, Milking Bank, Dudley: "You must be thoroughly ashamed at what you did, you were responsible for all the injuries she sustained."

Edward Soulsby, prosecuting, said Austin called Miss Hudson out to give him a lift home from his business but they argued.

He then picked her up by the arm before banging her against a wall and, as she crouched down, he kneed her four or five times in the chest.

She gave him a lift home but they stopped in a lay-by where Austin punched her eight or ten times in the face before repeatedly kicking her in the back after she got out of the vehicle.

Mr Soulsby said Austin then kicked out the windscreen in Miss Hudson's car before damaging her £400 mobile telephone.

Austin had denied assault causing actual bodily harm but he was found guilty by the jury. He pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal damage.

The Recorder gave him a 12 month jail term suspended for two years and ordered him to obey a three month curfew order between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

He was further ordered to pay Miss Hudson £800 compensation together with £1,200 court costs.