Bongo’s Bingo is a modern take on the popular numbers game that is guaranteed to be fun, full of drinks, lots of dancing and bonkers activities, and sometimes, all of those mixed together can become an explosive pot for some; one man in particular is Stephen Duke, a 37-year old former cage fighter from Liverpool.
The court heard how he took his wife to a Bongo’s Bingo event last year to celebrate their wedding anniversary only while there, he ‘slammed’ her nose into the wall giving her a broken nose as a gift to remember. It’s alleged his wife was dancing with another man, something the ex-cage fighter didn’t take too kindly to. Like a man possessed, he grabbed his wife by the throat and guided her out of the building – through a fire exit by her throat. The mum was terrified and struggled to breathe.
CCTV footage shown to the courts last week revealed…
…he continued his attack on his wife after existing the building, with security guards looking on as he pushed her face into metal railings. But this wasn’t the first time he had laid his hands on his wife; a month earlier Duke received a community order for assaulting a pub landlord. After he admitted causing bodily harm in a court, he got off pretty lightly.
Tipsy Trouble
Despite his actions, his wife begged the courts not to send her husband to jail for the sake of his children, but the message fell on deaf ears as he was sentenced to 8-months behind bars! According to Mrs Duke, her husband’s behaviour changed when he was promoted to site manager at work, turning a 3-year happy marriage into carnage. Nick Cockrell, prosecuting said the couple were with 7 friends at Bongo’s Bingo last year when Mrs Duke became tipsy at about 10pm. She recalls confessing her marriage was in difficulty before dancing with an unknown man between bingo games.
As CCTV was played, it showed the deliberate actions of a man in rage. Mr Cockrell said: "Whether they could or should have done more to intervene is another issue. At one stage it looks like the victim has her hand out to them, begging for help." First aid was administered by her friends outside the bingo event before Mrs Duke was taken to hospital. Duke decided to approach the accusations with “No Comment” at first, but soon changed his tune when he was shown the CCTV footage and admitted to causing actual bodily harm.
In a victim statement, Mrs Duke said the attack "tore my family apart," but she and her husband "worked hard repairing our marriage". She said: "Stephen was able to admit his wrongdoing and decided to make the changes he needs. He began attending motivational classes, which led him to completing his level one and two in meditation. He took these lessons very seriously and uses these techniques in his everyday life."
Source: “Ex Cage Fighter Broke Wife’s Nose at Bongo’s Bingo on Their Anniversary”. Liverpool Echo. September 28, 2020.
Your feedback
Please enter your comment.
Your comment is added.
