Drunk dad headbutted partner and kicked dog after downing two litres of vodka

A controlling and jealous dad violently attacked his girlfriend and her French Bulldog as it tried to protect her during a drunken rage where he had consumed two litres of vodka.

Webster Harper headbutted his partner after swigging the bottles of alcohol in the early hours of the morning. The victim was attacked after driving back home to Preston from London on December 16, 2024, with Harper grilling the woman on the phone for the entire five-hour journey after suspecting her of cheating.

When the mum arrived home at around 5:45am she sat inside her car while Harper continued to question her, Preston Crown Court heard. Inside the house, the 33-year-old attacker was swigging from a bottle of vodka and when his partner came inside the property, he pushed her to the floor and snatched her phone, LancsLive reports. It comes after a mum was left 'traumatised' after a dog walker pushes her in canal as she cycles to work.

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In an attempt to call police, the woman picked up an old phone but it did not have a SIM card in it.. Prosecutor Holly Nelson told the court Harper took one of their children to school, even though he was drunk, and when he returned he opened a second bottle of vodka and quickly downed it.

Harper then jumped on his partner's car bonnet as she tried to take her toddler to nursery. The woman blasted the horn in an attempt to alert neighbours and a passing police car and he went back inside the house. When the woman returned, Harper threatened to knock her teeth out and headbutted her, the court heard.

With blood running down her face the victim fled the house and was seen on a neighbour's Ring doorbell pleading with Harper to leave her alone. As the woman's French Bulldog attempted to protect her, Harper kicked the pet in a further act of aggression.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said Harper was an involved dad who had a particularly close bond with one of their children who has additional needs. He regularly spent time with the children taking them to the park and school and sharing hobbies with them, she said.

"My main concern is him receiving support for drinking and mental health," she said. "If he had been able to control his alcohol he would have been able to control his actions."

Amy Weir, defending, said Harper recognised the impact of what he had done not only on his victim but on their children. Harper, of Dodgson Place, Preston, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty, ABH and criminal damage of the mobile phone.

Judge Michael Maher told Harper as he was sentenced: "You tethering her to the phone for five hours was, in my judgement, part of your controlling behaviour. You just couldn't accept that the relationship had come to an end.

"It is a measure of your control that when she came home she just wanted a few minutes alone but you were mired in jealousy and you had drunk nearly two litres of vodka by the time of this deeply unpleasant offence. You were befuddled with drink. The diminutive French bulldog obviously felt protective of her. You treated the dog no better than you treated her - unlike your partner, the dog was kicked rather than headbutted."

Judge Maher conceded the children would be affected by their father going to prison immediately. "It is not their fault their father can not regulate his temper or his drink," he said. Harper was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for ABH with seven days to run concurrently for damaging the phone and a month concurrent for animal cruelty. However he suspended the sentence for 18 months and ordered Harper to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days to include a relationships course. He also made a six year restraining order.

"Alcohol was the root cause of this as you stewed in your own jealousy," the judge said. "You don't own her. You don't control her. That is what you need to get into your head as your children grow up."