James Hume, 29, from Henbury, Cheshire, grabbed Stephanie Teague by the throat and choked her after she asked him why a woman had approached her earlier in a bar claiming to have had fling with him
A privately-educated businessman beat up the mother of his two children in a drunken rage after he knocked back six glasses of port to complete a rugby club initiation ceremony.
James Hume, 29, from Henbury, Cheshire, grabbed Stephanie Teague by the throat and choked her at their five-bedroom house after she asked him why a woman had approached her earlier in a bar claiming to have had fling with him.
Police were called to the couple’s luxury former estate lodge last week after Miss Teague, 28, fled the property having told Hume, who runs a business loaning inflatable pubs to parties, ‘do you want to show our children what you do to their mum?’
Hume later said he was ‘ashamed’ of what he had done when ‘highly intoxicated’ and the couple plan to give their relationship ‘another go’, after having got together in their teens.
He had kicked Miss Teague’s thigh during another argument just days earlier, Stockport Magistrates heard.
The couple have been in a relationship since their late teens, share two children, aged 6 and 1, and ran a company together but had split up in August.
Police were called to the couple’s luxury five-bedroom former estate lodge last week after Miss Teague, 28,(left) fled the house having told Hume, ‘do you want to show our children?’
It is thought despite the break-up the pair continued living under the same roof in the hope of ‘trying to work it out.’
But prosecutor Tess Kenyon said: ‘On November 25, the defendant had been out drinking in Manchester and the following morning Miss Teague got up with the children and decided to go home to her mother’s house after an argument.
‘She called a taxi, but when it arrived he kicked out at her making contact with her thigh causing her to have a large bruise which remained on her leg in the following week.
‘On December 3 Jamie had gone out with his friends and he had been drinking.
‘The couple were planning on going out in town together to see her friend who sang in a bar in town. But he was drunk from the previous event and carried on drinking.
‘A female came up to Miss Teague in the bar and said that she had been sleeping with him.
Hume(pictured outside Stockton Magistrates Court) had kicked Miss Teague’s thigh during another argument just days earlier
‘She walked home and he followed her. She said in her statement “I just knew he was going to hit me, this is how he reacts with things”.’
Miss Kenyon described how Hume ‘grabbed’ Miss Teague by the throat and began squeezing until the mother said she ‘couldn’t breathe’.
‘She said to him “I hope you tell your children all about mum and what you’ve done to me”. She tried to get him to let go as she was in fear of her life.
‘He hit her in the face two times. She got away and ran out of the house and grabbed the house phone on her way so that she could call the police.
‘The police attended but she had locked herself out so they had to force their way in.’
Hume, who is director of the Inflatable Pub Company and runs Rummery bar in Macclesfield, later accepted causing Miss Teague’s injuries but initially claimed it was self-defence.
He said he himself had received some injuries trying to get her off him.
Hume’s lawyer, Shirley Fitton, said in mitigation: ‘This was a very volatile relationship.
‘Both parties have tried hard to put their differences to one side for the benefit of the children. They have remained amicable and hope to reconcile.
Hume, who is director of the Inflatable Pub Company and runs Rummery bar in Macclesfield, later accepted causing Miss Teague’s injuries but initially claimed it was self-defence
Hume told the hearing: ‘I never drink during the week, and I don’t do it often. At the weekend I started at a new rugby club and part of the initiation was to drink six shots of port’
‘He accepts his guilt. On the first occasion he did ask her to leave following an argument.
‘She didn’t go and he states that in self-defence he “kneed” her to get her out of the house.
‘The second incident he does accept that he was highly intoxicated and can’t remember what happened. He is of previous good character.
‘He accepts he could have acted in a different way – but this was the heat of the moment. It’s been a very trying time. They haven’t spoken since the incident.
Hume’s lawyer, Shirley Fitton, said in mitigation: ‘This was a very volatile relationship’. Pictured: Hume and Miss Teague
‘They got together in their teens, and have been together for a very long time. He wants to get alcohol out of his life.
‘This will be hard for him as he works in the licence industry, but he really wants to move on.
‘This was hopefully a blip in the relationship, both of them want to make a go of it, to try and repair this fractured relationship.’
Hume told the hearing: ‘I never drink during the week, and I don’t do it often. At the weekend I started at a new rugby club and part of the initiation was to drink six shots of port.
‘We were playing drinking games, something I don’t do, and I don’t even remember getting to the bar at 9pm.
‘We started drinking at 4pm so it was a long time, and in a situation that I’m not used to. My children didn’t hear anything and this won’t impact on them.
‘Stephanie said that our youngest had head butted her, and explained that was what caused her bruises on her face. I am very ashamed about what I did.’
Magistrates ordered Hume to complete a two year community order plus 150 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £170 court costs.
Magistrates ordered Hume to complete a two year community order plus 150 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £170 court costs