R v Dean Bell [Statement of Dean Bell]

I have read Grace Pegg’s statement and she is right that we were initially very close. She did not have many friends as she can be rather temperamental, particularly when she’s had a few. It was obvious from the first time I met him that Harry was unsure about being in a relationship with her (or any woman, in my view) but he liked the idea of having a girlfriend and they seemed happy enough; until she got pregnant.
I thought they were mad to get married but Harry was being very “gallant” about the whole thing and, of course, Grace was hopelessly in love with Harry. Sadly, they lost the baby.
Harry and I went out a lot, to the pub, to football. I told him that he should be at home with Grace more but he said that she wanted to be alone. As time went on, I got the feeling that he was flirting with me and, one night, in August y-2 when we had both drunk a bit too much, I made a pass at him. We then began an affair behind Grace’s back and she didn’t notice or didn’t want to notice.
In January y-1 he came to my house and told me that he had confessed everything to Grace and she had kicked him out. I told him that he was a big mouthed idiot. I didn’t want this to happen. He had nowhere to go and so I let him stay with me and we sort of drifted into a cohabitation relationship. By July y-1 I had had enough of him. He was dull. He never wanted to go out to a club or have fun and he kept going on about how bad he felt about Grace. I broke up with him by text, rather shamefully, but it seemed easiest. I said, you are still not over Grace and I’m not ready to settle down. I asked him to leave and he did. I said he could stay until he had found somewhere else, but when I returned home that night, he’d gone.
He did text me a number of times asking me to reconsider, but I told him that I wasn’t ready to settle down, that I’d find it too dull. I have been asked if I take cocaine and I accept that I do, very occasionally and only socially.
On 12th October y-1, I bumped into Harry at Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford. It was about 1800 hours. I was civil but wanted to get away. He told be about an incident when he had met Grace in a pub with a group of her friends. He told me that Grace had said that I had Aids and that he should get tested immediately. He told me that she said that I was a drug addict. She told all her friends about this and they said that I was disgusting. Harry said that he knew that Grace was saying this to other people as well and that the last thing that I would want is that sort of thing being said about me. I admit I was furious. I went to Stratford station, got a train to Stepney Green and went to her house. I knocked on her door. She wouldn’t answer, but I wouldn’t go away. I told her to come and face me.
She opened the door. I went to go into her house. It was out of habit. I put my (right hand) up to enter the house and moved to enter. She rammed the door shut. I felt a twinge in my hand and I felt the door slam on my foot. It really hurt and I was upset. I think I called her a spiteful cow, or something like that. She then moved towards me with her arm out and went to hit me. I couldn’t believe it and I slapped her hard across the face and told her to “Behave herself”. I think I hit her with the back of my hand, but I can’t be sure. I couldn’t believe she was being violent. I went there to have words, but not to fight I was hurting like hell. I only hit her once and she did not try and hit me again. I walked off. I was furious with her but wasn’t hanging around for any aggro.
I went further up the road and sat on the pavement. A policeman arrived and arrested me. When I was at the police station. I complained about my ankle and hand and a doctor looked at it and gave me some paracetamol. I spoke to a solicitor who told me that I should make a brief opening statement at the start and then make no comment to every other question. He said that it would be the quickest way to get out of the station. I accepted his advice and that is what I did. I can’t believe I have been charged. She was the aggressor and I was only defending myself. I think that I may have hit her with the back of my hand, but I can’t be sure. I should add that, although Grace appears a bit weak, she and I went to Kickboxing together for about 2 years and she is vicious when roused.

Signed: Dean Bell