Boxing Day incident saw Shane Cross wind up in King’s Lynn court after assaulting partner

A family gathering over the festive period took a turn for the worse when a man assaulted his partner, smashed a window and injured a police officer.

Shane Cross, 29, committed his offences after becoming involved in a Boxing Day argument with various members of his family.

They had been drinking alcohol to celebrate the day at a property in West Norfolk, but shortly before 10pm, the mood changed.

A disagreement between Cross and his partner resulted in them shouting at each other, and his mother attempted to diffuse the situation.

However, while doing so, Cross pushed his partner, causing her to fall to the floor.

His step-father subsequently attempted to phone the police. After noticing this, Cross threatened him and said he would “call the Albanians for help”.

Cross then decided to drive away from the house while intoxicated, but his step-father hid his car keys to prevent him from doing so – before telling him to leave the property.

Later, Cross returned to the home and demanded to be let in. He threatened to smash a window to gain entry, and the police were called.

While officers attempted to arrest him, Cross continually told them he wanted to see his mother, and refused to be placed in handcuffs.

Despite numerous warnings, he would not comply with officers, and they determined that reasonable force was required. However, Cross then lunged forwards, causing a police sergeant to fall and hit his shins on a plant pot.

A spray was deployed to get Cross under control, and he was eventually placed in a police van. At that point, checks revealed he had caused damage to the kitchen window of his family’s house.

Cross, of Paradise Road in Bawdeswell, near Dereham, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

He pleaded guilty to assault by beating, obstructing a police officer in their duty, and criminal damage.

In mitigation, solicitor James Burrows said a “build-up of tension” preceded the Boxing Day incident.

He said Cross was struggling with alcohol use at the time, and was suffering from mental health issues.

“It all culminates in what happens at his mum’s on Boxing Day,” Mr Burrows said.

The solicitor told the court that Cross has since obtained help with his mental health, and made a self-referral to CGL (Change, Grow, Live), where staff have given him “essential information about the triggers of alcohol”.

Magistrates described the ordeal as “quite a nasty incident”, but took into account that Cross was a man of previous good character.

For assaulting his partner, they fined him £553.

Cross will also pay £200 in compensation to the police sergeant he obstructed, as well as £145 in legal costs and a £221 victim surcharge.

He was handed no separate penalty for the criminal damage.