Sunderland attacker assaulted his wife and daughter in street

Henry Alderson, 56, was seen by three independent witnesses to hit his daughter and then kick her while she was on the ground on Friday, June 12.

Alderson, of Houghtonside, Houghton-le-Spring, then dragged her into his car before hitting his wife in an incident near a club in Newbottle.

After doing so, he pulled his daughter back out of his vehicle and drove off, prosecutor Carlie McArdle said.

The HGV driver pleaded guilty to a charge of actual bodily harm against his daughter and assault by beating against his wife.

Alderson told magistrates in South Tyneside he had been entirely sober and had acted in self-defence while also accepting he had gone too far.

Neither woman wished to give evidence against him.

Mrs McArdle said much of the incident was captured on CCTV and had happened outside a takeaway shop and close to a club.

She said Alderson had hit a woman, believed to be his daughter, who had “fallen onto the floor and the same male kicked her when she was on the floor”.

The prosecutor added that “the same male has dragged her from the floor into the back of a car” before hitting his wife and pushing her to one side.

Mrs McArdle said Alderson had then dragged his daughter out of the vehicle, sworn and driven away.

She said his daughter had admitted to having no recollection of the incident.

The court heard Alderson has three previous convictions from 10 offences but had not been before a court since 1988.

Defending himself, he said: “It was an altercation outside a pub, I was sober as a judge. I’d just finished work, I was defending myself, I got smacked on the nose.

“It’s got taken out of proportion.”

In a report, the Probation Service said Alderson accepted carrying out the attacks and that he had reacted to his victims’ behaviour while “they were under the influence”.

Magistrates sentenced Alderson to an 18-month community order.

He must also pay a £114 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.