Community order for man who punched his partner in the face

A man who was witnessed punching his partner in the face has been given an 18-month community order and told he must do 20 rehabilitation days.Jonathan Short appeared before magistrates at Lynn on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner on December 23 last year, obstructing a police officer on the same date, as well as an attempted theft from a shop on May 5 in Lynn and theft of a Shark vacuum cleaner worth £399.99 from Curry’s in the town on April 10.Nicola Lamb, prosecuting, told magistrates police were called because an assault was taking place with witnesses reporting seeing Short, of Walpole Road, Lynn, punching his partner in the face and shoulders. He had also reportedly threatened to set a dog on her.

Short’s partner had made a statement over the incident but had later retracted it and said she wanted to be with him.Ms Lamb said when police arrived they had to use a Taser to control 42-year-old Short, who had flung his arms at one police officer and pushed another officer.The attempted theft had happened at Sports Direct. A member of staff had heard the sound of a tag being pulled off an item, and when they looked they saw Short kick a Hugo Boss cap valued at £28 under a clothes rack. He had then left the store empty-handed. On April 10 Short was captured on CCTV as he removed a Shark vacuum from the Curry’s store.Defending, Charlotte Winchester, said probation had completed a detailed pre-sentence report and urged magistrates to read it before she gave any mitigation. However, she said the couple did want the relationship to continue and Short had said he would work with probation to make that happen and get the help he clearly needs.Having read the report magistrates agreed to go along with the recommendation which was for an 18-month community order with 20 days of rehabilitation activities.Because Short already owed £3,733 in outstanding fines magistrates felt they could not make any financial penalty, but ordered him to pay £399.99 compensation for the vacuum cleaner.