Leeds Crown Court: Man assaulted his ex partner's mum and tried to boot her front door down

Tenelle Clarke, 25, left the woman with bruises to her arm after grabbing her during a scuffle. Leeds Crown Court heard that Clarke had been in a “toxic relationship” - and the mum of his ex-partner did not want her daughter to see him.

On March 23 this year, at about 4.40pm, the mum returned to her home in Leeds which she shares with her daughter. She saw her daughter meet the defendant at the bottom of the street, before she describes hearing her scream.

The mum ran over to help and a scuffle broke out, as she tried to drag her daughter back home. During the altercation, Clarke grabbed the victim’s arm and attempted to pull her off her daughter, which left two bruises on her arm.

The mother and daughter returned to their home, followed by the defendant. He attempted to force the door open by kicking it, while the mum was holding it shut with her shoulder and trying to lock it. The lock was damaged and there was a crack between the frame and the wall.

Prosecuting, John Hobley said: “This is effectively revenge for the victim having intervened in the relationship with her daughter.”

Clarke was arrested about a month and a half later. He denied assault by beating and criminal damage, insisting that no violence was used, but he was convicted after a trial at Leeds Magistrates Court.

Clarke, of Carlton View, Leeds, has four previous convictions for five offences. At the time of the offence, he was subject to a suspended sentence order for assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his ex-partner.

Mitigating, Kara Frith said: “He does want to draw a line under this, he does want to move on. He has finally accepted that he and [the ex-partner] should not be in each other’s lives.

“This is an incredibly toxic situation, and he accepts fully that nothing good can come out of them being in contact, and he needs to address his issues on his own before moving forward.”

Judge Christopher Batty partially activated Clarke’s suspended sentence, jailing him for 11 months. He also made two restraining orders, preventing Clarke from contacting his ex-partner or her mother.