A 60-year-old Milford man has appeared before magistrates for sentencing after striking his former partner across her face.

Terence Coe entered an undisclosed property in Hakin on April 21 where, according to Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan, he became ‘more and more irate’.

“He couldn’t find his tobacco and he was asked to leave [by his former partner],” Ms Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates earlier this week.

“He became more and more irate, grabbed her arm and struck her to the side of her face, causing redness and slight bruising.”

A victim impact statement was read out to the court in which the victim said Coe’s actions are having a significant impact on her wellbeing.

“I’ve lost a stone in weight in recent months, which is being investigated but it’s probably the result of his behaviour,” she said in her statement.

“He doesn’t care about me. It’s all about money.”

The following month Coe began harassing the victim via text messages, repeated calls to her landline and by visiting her property.

“He was aggressive and confrontational and [the victim] started to panic and hid away in the house because she didn’t want any further confrontation,” said Ms Vaughan.

Coe, of Howarth Close, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to assaulting his victim by beating and an additional charge of harassment without violence.

He was legally represented in court by Mr Michael Kelleher.

“On the day in question [April 21], he’d been invited round to the house to do some decorating,” said Mr Kelleher in his mitigation.

“But when he went to leave he found he was shut in, locked inside the house and was unable to leave because the key had been removed.

“There followed an argument, but he accepts now that the lady was pushed.”

Coe was sentenced to a 12-month community order, during which he must carry out 20 rehabilitation requirement days. He was ordered to pay £150 compensation to the victim and was fined £120 with £85 court costs.

The offences were committed whilst Coe was serving a conditional discharge for a previous conviction of possessing a Class B drug.

For breaching the sentence, he was fined an additional £80 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge.

He was also handed a two-year restraining order which prevents him from contacting the victim.