A man who pushed his partner down the stairs and broke one of her teeth because he believed she was having an affair has been jailed.

Liam Gowers, of Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was handed a 12-month prison sentence after the judge ruled he would be ‘failing in his duty’ if he did not jail him.

Burnley Crown Court heard that Gowers, 27, had been drinking excessively during a stag event on March 18 and assaulted his partner because he believed she had been unfaithful.

Prosecutor Sarah Magill told the court that Gowers, who is a qualified tree surgeon, pushed the complainant down the stairs, breaking a front tooth to a 90 degree angle and caused bruising to her arms, hand and face.

Ms Magill said: “It’s clear that he intended to commit more serious harm than actually resulted from the offence.

“He tried to prevent her calling 999 by removing the phone, he tried to hide evidence and was in drink when it occurred.”

Defending barrister, David Taylor, said that Gowers has suffered with mental health problems and was seeking help from Inspire with his alcohol and anger issues.

He said: “He is a young man with mental health issues. Now he has to live with his problems but with help from Inspire they have faded into the past.

“He should have never have acted in this way and he has been punishing himself ever since.

“He is a jealous man and jealousy is a most powerful emotion and he has learnt a big lesson. He is extremely remorseful.”

Sentencing him to prison, Recorder Mukhtar Hussain QC said: “There is no doubt that this was a serious and sustained attack on your partner of whom you suspected of infidelity without any basis, that was what was in your mind.

"There is absolutely no truth and nothing has been said to justify that belief.

“Not only did you push her down the stairs you then proceeded with a sustained attack by punching her.

“On the 999 call it is clear that she is extremely upset, she is telling the operator about your threats to kill.

“I would be failing in my duty if I did not pass in your case a sentence of immediate imprisonment.”

Gowers was also ordered to pay a statutory surcharge of £140.

Gowers 'took bad beating' in revenge attack

Burnley Crown Court
Burnley Crown Court

Liam Gowers took a ‘bad beating’ in revenge for attacking his ex-girlfriend, a court heard.

Burnley Crown Court was told that he had been ‘violently beaten’ in reprisal for the assault against his partner,

His friend Guy Cornwell, was called as a character witness at his sentencing.

He told the court that Gowers had been hospitalised after an assault which occurred on July 3 outside the house of Gower’s grandparents, and which prosecutor Sarah Magill described as a ‘tit-for-tat act’.

Mr Cornwell said: “I actually saw him on that Sunday. About midnight he rang me up and said he’d been beaten up outside his home and could I take him to hospital.

“He took a really bad beating. He was in hospital for three days. He is very fearful of the health of his grandparents.

"These people said they knew where he lived and would be back if he went to the police.”

Mr Cornwell added: “I saw him six months ago, he was on top form working for Electricity North West and all of a sudden his life seems to have nose-dived.

“I have said to him that he does need to change and sort out his anger and reduce that and from what I have seen he can do that.

“He’s a very amiable young man, he wants to go back to work.”