A MAN who admitted driving his partner to an isolated area and dragging her out of the car, as well as other offences, has been given 120 hours of community service and a fine.
In addition to a charge of assault, Elliot Victor Potier Gomes (37) also admitted to harassment, speeding, and two counts of driving with a child without a seatbelt, as well as a number of parking charges.
Gomes appeared in the Magistrate’s Court via video-link.
Luisa Stuart, prosecuting, said that Gomes had had an argument with his partner at First Tower and drove her to Noirmont Point.
He “overpowered” her, the court heard, and pulled her over the driver’s seat and out of the car.
She fell to the ground and Gomes dragged her across the road.
He then drove off and threw the woman’s handbag out of the window.
During the attack, the woman sustained injuries to her finger and thigh.
Ms Stuart added that he had taken her to Noirmont “because he knew that would be the only place he would be able to get her out of the car physically”.
On a separate occasion, Gomes had harassed another woman, pointing his finger in her face and shouting: “I want to have a f***ing word with you” and “Who do you f***ing think you are?”.
On 4 May, Gomes was caught driving at 67mph on Grande Route des Mielles, where the speed limit is 40mph.
He had a five-year-old child in the back, without a booster seat, who was wearing an adult seatbelt.
On 17 June, he was caught with a four-year-old child in the front passenger seat, wearing an adult seatbelt and not in a proper booster seat.
Advocate Chris Baglin, defending, said that Gomes relied on his car for work and he had previously struggled with drugs issues.
He said Gomes “should have known better”.
Gomes provided a personal letter and three character references.
Relief Magistrate Peter Harris said that Gomes had deliberately brought the woman to Noirmont, an area which can be very isolated, adding: “You intended, essentially, to drag her away from help.
“I just do not know what you were thinking.”
He gave Gomes a total of £910 of fines, a 12-month binding-over order, 120 hours of community service, and disqualified him from driving for five months.
