Seaham man knocked down partner's grandmother, 70, with his car after spraying her in the face with spray paint

Martin Bell attacked the 70-year-old grandmother who had left her home to tell him to be quiet after she heard him shouting and swearing in the early hours of October 11, last year.

Durham Crown Court heard his victim had heard raised, aggressive voices outside her home and recognised one to be Bell, who was in a relationship with her granddaughter.

When she looked out of the window she said Bell was getting aggressive and was placing a TV in to the boot of a car on Embleton Street, Seaham.

Prosecuting Shaun Dryden said: “Bell grabbed her right wrist and squeezed it tightly before picking up something from the front seat of the car and spraying what she described as an unknown substance on her face and arms.”

It became apparent that what had been sprayed at the 70-year-old was a tin of spray paint.

But when the vulnerable woman clung on to the open driver’s side door to balance herself, the 25-year-old started the ignition, put the car into reverse and drove off - knocking his victim to the floor in the process, the court heard.

His victim suffered cuts and bruises, soft tissue damage to her right hip and had to be treated at Sunderland Royal Hospital following the terrifying ordeal.

Bell, of Parkside Crescent, had denied one count of common assault and one count of dangerous driving but was found guilty by magistrates following a trial.

Defending, Andrew Rutter, said: “He’s 25 years old and has his whole life ahead of him. He had been out of trouble for a number of years.

“He has a 14-month-old son who is in poor health and has an operation next week to address fluid on the brain.

“His partner wishes for him to be present for support.”

Bell has also recently found a job and a letter of employment was shown to the judge.

The 25-year-old has 16 previous convictions for 20 offences including assault, battery and causing an animal unnecessary suffering, said Mr Dryden.

Jailing Bell for 17 months, Judge Jonathon Carroll said: “You’re a 25-year-old young man, she is a 70-year-old woman. You grabbed her by the wrist so hard as to cause bruising.

“You took what you knew to be a tin containing spray paint aiming at her body and face, that must have been terrible for her until she knew what it was. It could have been anything that you read in the papers day after day.”

Adding: “You can’t expect anything other than a immediate custodial sentence.

“I understand you want to be around for your son’s operation but you brought this upon yourself.”

Bell was jailed for 17 months and banned from driving for 20 months and two weeks, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.