A Pembroke Dock man who snapped his partner’s toothbrush in what has been described as a ‘nasty incident’ has been handed a restraining order after admitting the charge in court.

Thirty-year-old Mickey Probert of Wavell Crescent appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday from custody to plead guilty to destroying a toothbrush belonging to Susan Probert on Sunday, November 3.

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones explained to the court that although the charge sounded ‘rather pathetic’ there was more background to the incident.

“I would probably be discarding it if it was just all about snapping a toothbrush, but previous issues between the defendant and the complainant had seen a restraining order made against Mr. Probert, which was subsequently lifted at the request of Mrs. Probert, but as a result of this incident, she now wants it reinstated,” he said.

“The couple had a big argument on the morning in question after Mr. Probert had been out drinking all night, and she found him asleep on the settee. She turned on the TV for the children to watch and Mr. Probert became argumentative, and started to pull out the TV cables from the wall and also the Sky cables too.

“He then punched a photo on the wall causing the frame to smash. She had a toothbrush in her hand at the time of the argument and he took the toothbrush and snapped it in half.

“It was a nasty incident in front of their children and one that caused the complainant serious distress.

“She said in a victim impact statement given to police that she had made a mistake in lifting the restraining order on Mr. Probert and letting him back into her life,” added Mr. Pritchard-Jones.

Defence solicitor Mike Kelleher told the court that the charge was for criminal damage to a toothbrush, but of more significance was the application to get a restraining order reinstated against his client.

“During a 999 call to the operator, the complainant stated that ‘he had not been violent, but we have been arguing’ - going onto say in a police interview that Mr. Probert had ‘not been physical in stopping me when I left, he was just n my way’ - so there were not threats of violence from his behalf,” he said.

“The toothbrush was snapped over the course of a domestic argument, so I would suggest that a request for a restraining order is out of proportion here.

“I would say this is really a matter that the two of them can surely sit down and work out between themselves.

“The couple have four children, and they do form a big part of Mr. Probert’s life. He has a calming influence on one child who suffers with autism,” added Mr. Kelleher.

The court heard from probation officer Julie Norman who explained that Mr. Probert had been subject to a community order he had been handed for an assault against the complainant.

“It is disappointing that he is back in court for this offence, but he has been compliant with the order so far and completed 60 hours of unpaid work,” she said.

Magistrates fined Mr. Probert £80 for the offence and put a further restraining order in place for 12 months, with conditions not to approach or communicate by any means, directly or indirectly with the complainant, with the exception of via a solicitor, Social Services Representative, or other agreed third party when seeking access to their children including paternal grandparents; not to visit or enter the complainant’s home or loiter within 100 metres of that address; not to enter any data on the internet/social media site that refers directly to the complainant.

The defendant was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £32 victim surcharge.