[UK] Court didn't believe Judge Allen's wife Melanie punched herself in the face 3 times

A judge's career was in tatters tonight - after being found guilty of battering his wife because she was late with his tea... During the case prosecutors accused both of perjuring themselves in the witness box when they had claimed that the judge hadn't been violent and that it was Melanie who had punched herself three times in the face... David Holderness, prosecuting, told the court on a previous day of the hearing that police had been called to the couple's home on February 20 last year after a 999 call had been made by an eight-year-old child at the house. On a tape played to the court the child can be heard telling the operator that Allen was “trying to kill” Mrs Allen...

JUDGE CLAIMS WIFE PUNCHED HERSELF
Telegraph.co.uk
26 May 2011
[Excerpts] James Allen QC, 62, told the court that his wife’s bruises were self-inflicted after she punched herself in the face. He claimed that, as the row continued, his wife snatched his glasses and crushed them to stop him leaving, before trying to grab the car keys from the ignition. Bradford magistrates were told that Melanie Allen was cooking the evening meal when their cleaner, Amanda Clark, arrived and wanted to speak to her. Mr Allen was unaware that Mrs Clark’s mother had just been diagnosed with cancer. He took a file from his study and went upstairs to read until he heard Mrs Clark leave the house in Wakefield 90 minutes later. “To be honest, I was irritable,” he told the court. “When I entered the kitchen I told the wife I was not very happy with Mrs Clark having visited. I had had nothing to eat all day and could not be bothered now.” He said the argument became more heated and he intended to drive away while his wife, an assistant deputy coroner, “cooled off”... My wife placed her body between myself and the kitchen door and repeated I was not leaving.” His wife then balled her fists and struck herself in the face in front of him. When he managed to reach the garage doors... one of the garage doors started to rise, it struck his wife’s leg, causing her to stumble... he was arrested and held in a police cell. He was subsequently bailed with a condition he live at his parents’ home. The row happened in February last year but in April, the judge said, he returned to live with his wife and had been there ever since... Mrs Allen, 45, told the court she had acted “pathetically” when her husband tried to leave. She claimed she hit herself in the face three times with clenched fists out of sheer frustration... [Full article here]

HIGH COURT JUDGE 'BEAT WIFE IN ROW OVER MISSING MEAL'
Yorkshire Post
26 May 2011 00:18
[Excerpts] A High Court judge allegedly attacked his wife in a rage after she had spent 90 minutes consoling their distraught cleaner, leaving him without an evening meal, a court heard yesterday. James Allen QC, 61, is said to have beaten his wife Melanie, an assistant deputy coroner, at their home in Woolley, Wakefield, following a heated row over his wife’s priorities. He has pleaded not guilty to assault and is on trial.... David Holderness, prosecuting, told the court on a previous day of the hearing that police had been called to the couple's home on February 20 last year after a 999 call had been made by an eight-year-old child at the house. On a tape played to the court the child can be heard telling the operator that Allen was “trying to kill” Mrs Allen. The couple can be heard arguing during the 999 call, and a female voice, identified as Mrs Allen, can be heard saying: “Look at me, look at what you have done to me, you stupid man”... [Full article here]

WIFE BEAT JUDGE FOUND GUILTY
The Sun
By Alastair Taylor
Published: 26 May 2011
[Excerpts] A JUDGE'S career was in tatters tonight - after being found guilty of battering his wife because she was late with his tea. Deputy High court judge, James Allen QC AND his wife a deputy county coroner were also shamed after both were accused of LYING under oath in court to try to get him off. Judicial officials and police are now considering examining what the pair - both qualified lawyers - said at Bradford Magistrates court during his trial... During the case prosecutors accused both of perjuring themselves in the witness box when they had claimed that the judge hadn't been violent and that it was Melanie who had punched HERSELF three times in the face. District Judge Daphne Wickham decided neither had told the truth and she found Allen guilty of assault... Judge Allen spent 90 minutes seething in his study - nibbling on a piece of cheese from the fridge - and then stormed down when the cleaner left. Allen flew into a rage and ended up punching his wife in the face three times the court heard... Prosecutor David Holderness said [Melanie] had told police he had attacked her and she said he had "done it to me before"... Prosecutors and police may now consider a perjury investigation it was revealed tonight... Detective Chief Superintendent Ingrid Lee of West Yorkshire Police said after the case: "We welcome today's verdict by the court... In this particular case both the police and the Crown Prosecution Service felt there was compelling evidence including photographs of physical injuries to the victim and also an audio recording of the 999 call made in the immediate aftermath by another distressed member of the household who stated they had witnessed what had taken place... [Full article here]
[public official judsicial involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder united kingdom politics]