Dad battered ex with a tree branch after what she said to new girlfriend

Stephen Balnaves hit his former partner after she turned up at his house in a rage, armed with a blade

A man battered his furious ex-girlfriend with a tree branch after she showed up at his house brandishing a steak knife. Stephen Balnaves, 43, knocked Natalie Ricketts to the ground and kicked her during the ugly incident, which was caught on camera.

Ricketts had gone to Balnaves’ house on St Annes Grove, Birkenhead, in a rage after her 16-year-old daughter alleged the 43-year-old had assaulted her. Balnaves later told police he had scuffled with his daughter after the pair had argued over her untidy bedroom – but “thought nothing of it” until Ricketts arrived at their house with a blade.

At Liverpool Crown Court today, video footage taken by Balnaves’ horrified girlfriend showed Ricketts standing on the driveway with the knife in her hand, shouting. The two women screamed at each other throughout the three-minute confrontation, in which Ricketts banged on the window of the house with her fist and pointed the blade at the woman inside.

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Prosecutor Simran Garcha said: “Ricketts armed herself with a steak knife. She banged at the address demanding to see Balnaves, who was not present at the property at the time. Ricketts proceeded to gesticulate aggressively with her arms and bang on the windows with the knife. At one point she spat on one of the windows. She was heard to shout ‘tell her to come out. I’ll have a fight with her woman to woman, no weapons involved’.”

In the video footage, Balnaves’ girlfriend could be heard on the phone to police, shouting: “She’s got a knife. My man’s on the way back, he’s her ex-partner. You need to send someone because she’s going to stab him.” She added: “You need to send someone because my partner’s on his way back from school with my baby.”

As she continued to scream at Ricketts through the window, her 14-year-old son left the house through a back door and warned Balnaves, who was returning from a school run. He returned to the property and picked up a branch, which he used to clobber Ricketts.

Ms Garcha said: “Balnaves picked up a branch that was on the floor and he struck Ricketts, causing her to fall. Ricketts hit her head on a wall or pavement as she fell, and that’s what caused the wound on her forehead. As Ricketts was on the ground, Balnaves proceeded to kick her, which was captured on the video.”

Balnaves was arrested at the scene, while Ricketts was taken to hospital. After being treated for her wounds, she too was arrested. Balnaves, who has four previous convictions for nine offences, pleaded guilty to section 20 wounding at appeared in court today, August 20, for sentence. Ricketts, of St Edmonds Road, Bootle, will appear tomorrow, August 21.

Christopher McMaster, defending, said: “Balnaves for his part is thoroughly ashamed of his actions. He seems to have made admissions at the scene to the police at the time. What can be said, he does have a record of previous convictions and it’s a chequered history, but it is a fairly short history and doesn’t feature offences against the person. There’s no significant history of violence. This seems to be out of character.”

He added: “There’s a very positive side to Balnaves. His current partner has two children aged four and 14 and Balnaves is a father to them. He was collecting one of them from school. All speak of Balnaves as an important figure in their lives and there seems to be strong family ties with Balnaves’ own son and grandchildren.”

Judge Simon Medland said: “I have to sentence you for a very unpleasant incident. In January this year, outside your house there was a bawling, shouting argument between two women, one of whom was armed with a steak knife. You intervened in the matter and I have no doubt you were in a filthy temper when you did. You picked up a branch and you struck the women with that, you pushed her over, causing a nasty wound to her forehead, and while she was down you put in the boot.

“I have no doubt of the facts of this case. There’s a significant mitigation because you intervened late and in circumstances that have some elements of self defence, although your reaction to what was happening was grossly disproportionate.”

He sentenced Balnaves to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, a 12 moth mental health treatment requirement and 15 rehabilitation days.