Wife forced into car boot - court is told

Dennis David Steele, 32, from Church Road, Glenwherry, pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning his wife and assaulting her causing her actual bodily harm. The court heard the defendant also tied his wife up and burned her with paint thinners in August 2008.

attacks

Antrim Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, was told that the couple's two children saw some of the attacks Steele carried out.

A prosecution lawyer said that Mrs Steele, who had been sleeping with her three-year-old daughter, was dragged out of bed by her hair by Steele after he had brought his son back to the house after a football match.

Steele who was armed with a knife, slapped his wife and tied her hands together with shoelaces before hitting her on the head and trailing her into the boot of a car which he then drove away.

The court also heard that his wife suffered minor burns to her neck and stomach after he brought her back to the house, pushed her onto a sofa then threw a bottle of turpentine over her and flicked matches at her.

Steele then put his wife in the bath before taking her back into the bedroom where the couple then lay down on either side of their daughter before he "exploded into a rage again" after his wife said she would leave him once and for all.

He tied up her hands and feet and put a rolled up sock into her mouth and only released her after she indicated she would stay with him.

A defence lawyer said the Steeles had been together since their mid-teens but they were separated after their relationship became unstable. Telling the court that both had used drugs and Steele also had a drink problem.

irrational

The lawyer said Steele was now in a settled and stable relationship and had a eight week old baby with a new partner, who was in the public gallery.

Judge Geoffrey Miller described Steele as "an irrational man who had left his former wife fearful and scared of him".

Steele agreed to complete two years probation on his release from jail.