Morning:
8°c
With a single dessert and just two glasses of wine our bill was kept in check - but the effort of doing so was not much fun
Latest: Gordon Brown apologises for his poor handwriting and for misspelling the name of a dead soldier in a letter to the young man’s mother
More...
Top doctor who hit his wife 24 times is spared jail
Last updated at 18:37pm on 22.08.07
Brute: Dr Stuart Brown attacked his wife, punching her 24 times
A senior doctor who savagely beat up his wife after they argued about buying a new car has escaped a prison sentence.
Anaesthetics consultant Stuart Brown, 37, threw his wife to the floor and punched her at least 24 times as she lay at his feet.
He claimed a "red mist" descended after she went to sleep in the spare bedroom.
The vicious assault on Carol Mcewan followed regular verbal and physical abuse during their seven-year marriage.
But Brown, 37, who is thought to earn £100,000 a year, walked free from court after being ordered to pay her just £500 in compensation.
Magistrates decided against jailing him because he had no prior convictions and was of previous "good character".
Presiding magistrate John Warne told him: "No punishment this court could enforce could come anywhere near the impact you feel this had on you, your profession and your colleagues."
The case was heard in the same week a management consultant was fined just £2,000 after branding his wife with an iron because she had not pressed his shirt.
Women's Aid yesterday expressed concern that two cases involving lenient sentences should occur within days of each other.
Spokeswoman Judith Stephenson said: "These cases are shocking and demonstrate how a man who causes his partner extreme emotional and physical harm can still go almost unpunished.
"It is vital that the courts give out the message that domestic violence is not acceptable."
Prosecutor Rachael Tuckertold Norwich Magistrates Court: "'In the days leading up to the latest incident they had an argument over buying a new car.
"The relationship remained tense for several days.
"On the night of the attack she had gone to bed early as she needed to get up early the next day.
"When Mr Brown came to bed she attempted to move to the spare room so that she could get some sleep. That is when he became abusive."
Brown followed his wife and began punching her as she lay in bed before dragging her to the floor and hitting her in the ribs "at least a couple of dozen times".
In a statement, Miss Mcewan said her husband's eyes were bulging and his face was "ugly and full of anger".
He fled their house in Norwich after she managed to crawl to a phone and dial 999.
Brown, who is now living in nearby Wymondham, later told police "a red mist descended and I lost control".
He was also given a 24-month supervision order and ordered to complete a domestic abuse programme after admitting assault by beating on July 25.
He is still working at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, in Norwich, which has refused to comment on the case.
The General Medical Council will now hold a disciplinary hearing Brown could be suspended or struck off.
Detective Sergeant Ian Fox, of Norfolk police, said: "This shows that domestic violence knows no class boundaries and can affect people from all walks of life."
A force insider added: "The sentence does not send a warning to abusive partners. Being of otherwise good character is no excuse for domestic abuse."
Cambridge graduate Colin Read, 25, was fined on Monday for using the iron on his wife, medical student Elizabeth, also 25.
He also slashed her with a knife after she forgot to make his sandwiches.
Read was even spared a community punishment because the judge ruled he was unlikely to reoffend and he was "too busy" to complete any order.
One in four women experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetimes and two women are killed each week in England and Wales as a result.
Reader views (23)
Did anyone else feel that women's rights just got set back 50 years?
And to the prosecution: I'm sure it was really relevant that they had a fight over a car. Yes, that gives me the right to beat up someone because I had an argument with them.
Hope the wife divorces him and gets everything. She deserves it in compensation.
- Jc, London
What signal does this send out. It says that wives are men's property, to be abused as you like? Can you imagine what the sentence would have been had this not been his wife? And all the hard work the police have done to get this woman to testify - he's fined £500.
- Siobhan, London, UK
A precedent has now been set - if you're a professional man, domestic violence is subject to a £500 fine only.
- Rm, London
So why put drug users in jail and keep wife beaters out? I don't get it. Who cares if his career has been ruined. There's no excuse for beating anyone black and blue. The guy's a doctor. Would you let him near you ?
I could not believe yesterday's story about the psychotic management consultant who was let off after torturing his wife not once but three times. For fear of sounding like disgusted of Tunbridge Wells, I am appalled and shocked at this decision.
- Neil, London
Paul of Dover has not got it quite right if Domestic Violence is committed by a Council tenant. If the victim has to be protected by the offer of a new sole tenancy elsewhere, the perpetrator will be evicted. This happens in cases where there is no prosecution.
- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, London, UK
It's very easy to criticise the sentence - but let's just remember we were not in court to hear all the evidence and weigh all the factors.
- Terry Roll, London
As we see constantly in this country now, the criminal just cries ' Human Rights ' and the victim gets no justice.
- Rick, London, England
This is disgusting - I can't believe all he got was a fine. Says it all about our justice system. He should have been put in prison or some sort of punishment. We mock countries like Iraq but they prob have a better justice system than ours - this country is turning into a joke.
- Jk, London
How can this man be allowed to continue to work in the medical profession treating the public, particularly women, and expect any respect or trust for that matter.
- Stuart, New Malden
This man should have been locked up and I cannot understand how any court can to my mind let him off.
- Mike, Bedford
So for the second day in a row an abusive husband escapes jail, because he is otherwise 'respectable'. What a great example to set.
- Lucy, Surbiton, UK
I feel sick. This man belongs in jail. Where is the justice for his poor wife?
- Rebecca, London
Yesterday, we heard how a management consultant was let off after he branded his wife with an iron. Now this. Our judges and magistrates clearly believe that beating women half to death is perfectly acceptable. There is something quite sinister and creepy about these judges and magistrates, if you ask me.
- Anthony, London
When are these over aged, over paid judges going to realize that hitting women is not an option for men. Two in two days is two too many. These are just the cases that make the headlines, what of all the others that maybe get a couple of lines in a local paper.
- Heather, Essex, England
A few days ago it was the awful Colin Read and now it's this guy's turn to get away with it - did I miss something? Is domestic abuse legal now? Does it only apply if you have a degree?
- Craig, London
The great Britsh Justice system!! What a joke, "No Class boundaries!" your 'aving a laugh !
- Jo, London
So now it seems we have a two-tier legal system as well as everything else. One where you escape jail if you're a white collar worker and one where you go to jail if you are a blue collar worker. Sounds about right for this awful country.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
So can anyone explain how our wonderful legal system in this country has not sent this animal to jail? Basically this sets a precident that as long as you have not been caught before then you can go round and beat up anyone. Fantastic.
- Andrew, St. John's Wood, London
"A good character"? He abused his wife for years and they still consider him to have an otherwise good character? What kind of legal system are they running in this country, anyway?
- Diana, Edinburgh
If this 'man' was from a council estate he would be in jail now. Anyone who has respect for the law of this country is an idiot.
- Paul Ray, Dover, Kent
This proud man... so proud he bullies and beats a woman.
- Rachroo, London
Sentences like this will only deter other victims of domestic violence from coming forward. The magistrate should be ashamed of himself.
- Brian, Birmingham
Spousal assault should equal jail time. Full stop!
This case and the one yesterday with the husband branding his wife with an iron (he had to pay a fine - couldn't be taken away from his busy job!) show that spousal abuse is still not taken seriously by judges. Disgusting.
- Sally, London
