Spurned youth butted woman (From Oxford Mail)

Spurned youth butted woman

A teenager who head-butted a young woman when she spurned his unwanted attentions was told by magistrates he had narrowly escaped a custodial sentence.

Lee Atkinson, 19, a plasterer, of The Grove, Abingdon, admitted assaulting Nina Colbeck as she was getting into a taxi after they had been drinking in the Brewery Tap pub, in Ock Street, Abingdon.

At Didcot Magistrates' Court yesterday, Jan Davies, prosecuting, said that on September 13 last year Miss Colbeck met Atkinson's sister Tracy to go for a drink.

Atkinson, who had previously gone out with Miss Colbeck, decided to join them, although she was not keen.

"After several hours' drinking, Lee Atkinson became argumentative and aggressive," said Miss Davies. "They ended up in the Brewery Tap where he tried to put his arms around Miss Colbeck."

Miss Davies said the landlady saw that Miss Colbeck was distressed and accompanied her to a taxi where Atkinson head-butted her.

David Hicks, defending, conceded Atkinson "had a long list of previous convictions including a prison sentence for assault causing bodily harm".

Presiding magistrate Benjamin Ballard told Atkinson: "You are lucky not to receive a custodial sentence."

He deferred sentencing for six months on condition that Atkinson attends an anger replacement programme. He was told to pay off outstanding fines and to curb his drinking.