Archive for December, 2013

A father who attacked his ex-wife and an usher in a courtroom explosion of rage as his decade-long battle for custody of his son collapsed has been shown mercy by the country’s most senior family judge – who, in declining to jail him, found that he had ‘suffered enough’. The father had repeatedly punched his ex-wife and hit the usher who tried to restrain him in the midst of a family court hearing. He was subsequently jailed for 20 months at the Crown Court after he admitted inflicting actual bodily harm and assault. He was also brought before the President of the Family Division, Sir James Munby, to face two allegations of contempt. His lawyers argued that the violent outburst was entirely out of character and had been triggered by his acute emotional distress at learning that a residence order had ... Read more