Wife needed six stitches to head wound following assault

A FORMER construction foreman has admitted putting his wife in hospital after a drunken kitchen argument on Christmas Day.
Father-of-two Michael Brammer, 53, pushed his wife of 33 years backwards causing her to fall, leaving her needing six stitches to the back of her head and bruising to the left of her face.
Brammer, formerly of Windsor Drive, Goole, appeared at Hull Crown Court (Wednesday, March 23) and pleaded guilty to one charge of assault causing actual bodily harm. He also admitted a charge of criminal damage to a police van on his arrest – when he was intoxicated.
His wife initially said she could not recall how the injuries were caused, but later told police she had been struck by her husband. Brammer claimed she slipped off a chair and hit her head on the worktop. However, the victim produced a further statement saying she did not believe he should go to prison.
“The Crown say it was a punch that caused her to fall to the floor,” said Crown barrister Stephen Welch. “He does not accept punching her, but says he pushed her causing the injuries she received.”
“There is effectively not a large difference in sentence and we are presented with evidencial difficulties, as although there were others in the house, they did not see the incident.”
Brammer has more than six previous convictions for assault. He punched his own son-in-law on his doorstep in 2012, after claiming some barbecue items were missing.
Defence barrister Richard Thompson said Brammer’s wife had written to the court saying she was looking to see if they could get their marriage back on track.
Judge Kate Buckingham said Mrs Brammer had complained of living in a volatile relationship and she wanted a report on his background before he is sentenced.
Judge Buckingham told him: “You have pleaded guilty to serious matters. Any offence of violence is serious, whether it is in the context of domestic violence or not. I want to know why this took place. I ask that they look at alcohol consumption as it seems to have fuelled your behaviour. You must not contact your wife. I take the view it is premature to allow you to go back and live with her.”
She allowed Brammer to walk free on bail. He will be sentenced at Hull Crown Court on April 15.