A wife is to stand trial for assaulting her husband – with TOAST and BUTTER.
Julie Evans poured water over her sleeping husband James before throwing toast at him and rubbing butter in his face, it is claimed.
In the ensuing struggle she is alleged to have torn his ear, causing a wound which required 13 stitches.
Evans admits the incident took place but denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm and will stand trial later this year.
Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court heard how the tiff started when James, who has multiple sclerosis, returned home from work on July 12 last year.
Theresa Perry, prosecuting, said: “He came home from work after being away and he needed to work from home but his wife kept asking him to do things for her.
“He fell asleep on the sofa – he has multiple sclerosis – and Mrs Evans woke him by pouring water on him. He pretended to be asleep.”
But the tension escalated the following morning when she threw her breakfast at him, the court heard.
Ms Perry added: “The next morning she started an argument and threw her toast at him.
“He left, as he felt she was being petty. She grabbed a handful of butter and smeared it over his face.
“He tried to rub some of it back on her.
“They ended up on the floor. He went upstairs to wash it off. Mrs Evans went upstairs and he showed her his ear.”
Evans was initially facing two charges of common assault but District Judge Joti Bopa-Rai intervened when he heard about the ear injury.
She then asked the Crown Prosecution Service to consider charging Evans with the more serious charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
“I am going to invite the Crown to have a look at it,” said Judge Bopa-Rai. “It is something I am going to keep an eye on.
“We are very concerned there is a lot of under-charging going on.”
Evans, of Buckshaft Road, Ruspidge, Cinderford, Glos., denied the fresh charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
She is due to stand trial on two counts of common assault and one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on July 18 at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court.
