High court judge guilty of beating ‘pathetic’ wife

James Allen QC, 61, claimed his wife Melanie inflicted injuries on her own face during an incident at their house in Woolley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire on February 20 last year.

Mrs Allen, 44, backed up her husband’s story when she gave evidence at Bradford Crown Court.

She also said she had self-harmed in the past.

But District Judge Daphne Wickham said she did not believe the couple’s account.

She found the judge guilty of common assault.

Mrs Allen described how she punched herself in the head after becoming totally frustrated at her husband wanting to leave the house over a “ridiculous” argument.

She said she thought her husband was being “unreasonable” but began to lose all self-respect when it was clear he was preparing to leave the house.

“I said ‘please, please, please don’t go’, she told the district judge.

“I was behaving pathetically.”

But Mrs Wickham said: “I am not satisfied that she was describing the sort of area and level of violence that would be required to reach the bruises and injuries that she sustained.”

She said she found as a matter of fact Mrs Allen’s facial injuries were not self-inflicted.

The district judge said: “I am satisfied that this defendant lost his temper and snapped at the end of a difficult time for himself and his family, with all the stresses of family life and all the travelling , and that he assaulted his wife. I find the matter proved.”

Mrs Wickham said she would adjourn the case for sentencing so a pre-sentence report could be prepared.

Mrs Wickham indicated Allen was likely to be given a community order when he is sentenced next month.

This will probably involve supervision by probation officers with sessions to address his domestic violence.

The trial, which was spread over a number of days starting last year, heard how the argument between the Allens started after Allen had been away for a week and then spent the Saturday running his family around.

He returned to the family home having not eaten to find his wife was preoccupied by the couple’s cleaner, who had come round to talk to Mrs Allen about various problems she was having.

They both told the court the argument was more heated than usual and Mrs Allen described her increasing exasperation at her husband’s insistence he was leaving.

She said she punched herself on the sides of her head out of sheer frustration and despair.

Mrs Allen also gave evidence saying she had done something similar on Boxing Day 2009, following another argument. And, she said, she cut her wrist 18 years ago resulting in a minor injury which was treated in hospital.

But one doctor told the hearing Mrs Allen’s injuries on February 20 - which included bruises and swelling - were not consistent with self-punching.

Police officers told the trial Mrs Allen made no mention of harming herself when they called at the house within 15 minutes of receiving a 999 call.

In that emergency call, the caller was recorded saying Allen was “trying to kill” Mrs Allen.

The officers who arrived at the house found Allen had left.

They said Mrs Allen insisted she did not want the police involved but said “words to the effect that the defendant had done this before”.

The district judge said she believed Allen had left the house in the full knowledge the police were on the way.

She told the court the evidence she had heard was that punching yourself was an extremely unusual form of self-harm and added: “The evidence before me is that this lady is not usually a self-harmer.”

Allen, who sat in court behind his legal team, showed no emotion as the district judge read out her findings.

His wife had been with him during the day but left before the end of the case.

Anton Lodge QC, defending, told the court the couple were still together.

Allen was called to the bar in 1973 and was made a QC in 1995.

He was made a deputy high court judge in 2000.

One high profile case he presided over was Christine Gill-v-RSPCA, in which he ruled against the animal charity in a dispute over a will.

Mrs Allen is also a trained barrister. She sits as a deputy coroner in the eastern district of West Yorkshire, covering the Leeds area.

Allen’s case was adjourned until June 21, at the same court.

He was given unconditional bail.

As he left, Mr Lodge said his client did not want to make any comment.

Asked about an appeal, Mr Lodge said: “No comment”.