WOOTTON BASSETT MAN SENTENCED FOR ASSAULTING GIRLFRIEND AFTER WEDDING

A man from Wootton Bassett, Michael Kearns, aged 43, was sentenced after pleading guilty to actual bodily harm in connection with an assault on his girlfriend. The incident occurred on August 24, 2023, after Kearns collected his then-girlfriend from a wedding where she had been drinking. An argument escalated in the car near Pewsey railway station, during which Kearns punched her in the face, causing significant swelling and bruising around her eye. The victim accused her partner of punching her in the face with enough force to cause her to bleed and scream in the street, with nearby residents hearing the altercation and witnessing her bleeding and crying. The woman was found bleeding from her eye and was injured enough to sustain bruises to her legs and arms from jumping out of the moving car. Kearns was arrested at his home and, during police interviews, he stated he loved her and hoped she was okay. He admitted to the assault, saying he struck her on a reckless basis and accepted that she fell out of the vehicle while intoxicated. In court, he was sentenced at Swindon Magistrates' Court to a 24-month community order, including 12 sessions of mental health treatment, six months of alcohol treatment, and 40 rehabilitation activity days. Due to his early guilty plea, he received a reduced fine of £60, with additional fines and costs totaling £259. Kearns' lawyer stressed that the punch was reckless, not deliberate, and noted that Kearns faced personal hardships after losing his house and job following separation from the victim.