Jail sentence for man who slapped former girlfriend on the face

Shae Williamson (19), with an address listed as Mill Mews, committed the offence in September this year, Ballymena Magistrates Court heard.

A prosecutor said the defendant had gone to the 18-year-old’s workplace at a coffee shop in Ballymena demanding to speak to her after they had split-up the previous week.

The prosecutor said the woman asked the defendant to go outside and talk and he began shouting and acting aggressively.

The next morning the girl was sitting in the Broadway area before work when Williamson turned up and asked if she was “waiting for him”.

The prosecutor said the girl replied “no” but the defendant “sat next to her anyway” and when he became aggressive and verbally abusive he slapped her face.

The girl told police it resulted in “stinging” to her face but there was no lasting pain.

Later that day the defendant again arrived at her work demanding to speak to her but staff advised him to leave and police were called.

Defence solicitor Stewart Ballentine said the defendant wished to apologise for the slap.

He said they had been in a relationship for two years and the defendant was “upset by the break-up”

The lawyer said it had been a “moment of madness” when Williamson slapped the girl but “thankfully there were no injuries”.

District Judge Nigel Broderick handed down a three months jail term and said: “I take a very dim view of this.

“This was a young girl who you approached not once but twice. First of all you go to her place of work and you are aggressive and shouting”.

The judge said that no doubt it would have been “fearful” and embarrassing for the woman.

He added: “Then the next day you turn up unwanted and again start another argument and then slap her in the face. The courts have tried to manage your behaviour previously. You have had at least one previous Probation Order and you have had fines but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to have worked so let’s see if this sentence works - there will be a sentence of three months in prison”.

The defendant had bail in the sum of £500 fixed for appeal.