Bodybuilder spared jail after beating up girlfriend despite "appalling record"

[Tennis]

Somehow the guilty go free.

A BODYBUILDER with a history of violence against women has been ordered to attend a 'building better relationships' course after battering his partner.

Mark Pelz, 41, has been spared jail after he attempted to strangle his 26-year-old girlfriend and punched her in the face following an argument over a Facebook post in April 2013. When she fought back, the father-of-three threw her to the floor and struck her face again with his knee.

It was the latest of a series of convictions for violence offences held by Pelz, dating back as far as 1989, which included a racist assault on a female soldier where he punched her three times in the face.

Sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Fuller QC said the defendant had an "appalling record for violence" and described the case as "disgraceful".

However, he proposed to take "what some might say is a lenient approach" and suspended Pelz's 24 month jail term for two years.

He was ordered to attend the building better relationships and alcohol treatment courses and to undergo probation supervision for two years.

Judge Fuller said: "You have got a chance, it is up to you what you do with it."

Pelz, of Solstice Rise, Amesbury, Wiltshire, admitted one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the incident in 2013, which occurred in Salisbury.

He also admitted common assault on the same woman, which occurred at their home in Ascham Road, Bournemouth, on June 18 last year.

The first incident occurred after a man commented on a photo of Pelz and his victim, Gemma Carr, on Facebook.

Prosecutor Janice Brennan said "controlling" Pelz had then demanded the man's phone number, called him, and became angry when that man described him as a "bully". It was then he launched his violent assault, leaving Miss Carr with a clinical fracture to her nose.
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However the victim, who now lives elsewhere under a different name, was "vulnerable" and "dependent", the prosecutor said, and told police she didn't want Pelz to go to prison. He told officers that she had struck him first.

During the second incident, in which a neighbour alerted police after hearing "shouting and screaming", Pelz left his victim with bruising on her arms. At around the same time he set images of the notoriously violent criminal Charles Bronson, now Charles Salvador, as his Facebook profile picture.

The court heard Pelz's record included counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997 and 2000, common assault in 1994, 1996, 1997, 2002, and 2005, threatening behaviour in 1995, 1997, 2008 and 2012, causing grievous bodily harm in 1997 - an assault which fractured the victim's eye socket - and causing grievous bodily harm with intent - the attack on the soldier mentioned above.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/13929031.display/

This is unacceptable. What does this man have to do to actually get some serious prison time?
He's clearly had multiple chances.
Him viciously assaulting his gf has to be the last straw.

Is this type of sentencing the norm in the UK?
What can be done to protect our women from abusive men like this?

[Independent voter]

Roid rage, imo. 30 char rule

[Azadina]

I think the judge deserves some time in jail too.

[Deleted]

She hit first lol

[Ryme]

Is this type of sentencing the norm in the UK?
What can be done to protect our women from abusive men like this?

No, it's not.
Probably not a whole lot more than is already being done.

[Tennis]

She hit first lol

Uhh she attempted to fight back.

[Kalis]

This is unacceptable. What does this man have to do to actually get some serious prison time?
He's clearly had multiple chances.
Him viciously assaulting his gf has to be the last straw.

Is this type of sentencing the norm in the UK?
What can be done to protect our women from abusive men like this?

He's a danger to the public, not sure why the judge was lenient considering his previous and I'm not sure why you think the genitals of the victim have anything to do with it either.

[Jotaux]

Uhh she attempted to fight back.

Hes referring to the first incident where she said that to save him from prosecution because she is dependent on him.

[Deleted]

Uhh she attempted to fight back.

Hitting first is not fighting back .....
" He told officers that she had struck him first."

Two medals of that coin she picked a fight she couldn't win.

[zorkuus]

Uhh she attempted to fight back.

That's just play, women like tough love.

I kid I kid

[Tennis]

Hitting first is not fighting back .....
" He told officers that she had struck him first."

Two medals of that coin she picked a fight she couldn't win.

" spared jail after he attempted to strangle his 26-year-old girlfriend and punched her in the face following an argument over a Facebook post in April 2013. When she fought back, the father-of-three threw her to the floor and struck her face again with his knee."

[Doctor Amadeus]

Kind of reminds me of a story I read on YOUTUBE of all places of some marine beating the shit out of his girlfriend or some shit, and the judge doing something similar. But anyways OT yeah, this is pretty fucked up, and my heart goes out to the woman.


But the question also is what to do, and by "What to do" I mean the specific situation, because in domestic abuse sometimes you do circumstances where the woman in the relationship still chooses to love and be with the abuser, meaning that despite said individuals past, they still choose the relationship.

I mean personally, I am ok with the standard that the state steps in automatically, but I have to admit there are some pretty fucked up relationships where people know what they are in and accept it.

[AeneasBK]

I didn't think prior convictions were allowed to be mentioned in cases - that they be judged on the merits of the case, not the history of the defendant?

Could it simply be the judge wasn't allowed to be aware of the previous assaults?

[Vash The Stampede]

But is she still in a relationship with him? Cause that's always what strikes me odd about women beaten by men, they always stay in the relationship.

[Doctor Amadeus]

" spared jail after he attempted to strangle his 26-year-old girlfriend and punched her in the face following an argument over a Facebook post in April 2013. When she fought back, the father-of-three threw her to the floor and struck her face again with his knee."

Yeah, but then there is this!

"However the victim, who now lives elsewhere under a different name, was "vulnerable" and "dependent", the prosecutor said, and told police she didn't want Pelz to go to prison. He told officers that she had struck him first."

Which in the end has a LARGE chunk to do with whats happening with him, if she is dependent on him, and she chooses not cooperate then what?

[Kalis]

I didn't think prior convictions were allowed to be mentioned in cases - that they be judged on the merits of the case, not the history of the defendant?

Could it simply be the judge wasn't allowed to be aware of the previous assaults?

I'm pretty sure that prior convictions are taken into account when sentencing, but aren't known until after the decision on guilty or not guilty has been reached.

Judges often are lenient on first time offenders, which wouldn't make sense if the judge didn't know if it was a first offence.

[slickwilly]

His tattoo necklace says it all

[AeneasBK]

I'm pretty sure that prior convictions are taken into account when sentencing, but aren't known until after the decision on guilty or not guilty has been reached.

Judges often are lenient on first time offenders, which wouldn't make sense if the judge didn't know if it was a first offence.

Cool, as I started typing it I realised it was another case of "You're just wrong about this but I'm sure someone will be kind enough to point it out"

[Tennis]

Kind of reminds me of a story I read on YOUTUBE of all places of some marine beating the shit out of his girlfriend or some shit, and the judge doing something similar. But anyways OT yeah, this is pretty fucked up, and my heart goes out to the woman.


But the question also is what to do, and by "What to do" I mean the specific situation, because in domestic abuse sometimes you do circumstances where the woman in the relationship still chooses to love and be with the abuser, meaning that despite said individuals past, they still choose the relationship.

I mean personally, I am ok with the standard that the state steps in automatically, but I have to admit there are some pretty fucked up relationships where people know what they are in and accept it.

Yeah, some women know they're being abused and still stay.

Have to make sure there are ways out for them in the form of shelters, counseling, rehabilitation etc.

[Deleted]

What can be done to protect our women from abusive men like this?

Wow, just wow. Now, I am a big hater of alot of all this feminist shit that gets spouted about at the moment, but even I know that they are not OURS.