Attack accused claims alleged victim “smoked crack almost daily”

Danny Tandy (57), who denies criminal damage and assault occasioning in actual bodily harm, told Sheffield Crown Court that he had “never assaulted” the complainant and that she had been “smoking crack cocaine almost every day”.

Mr Matthew Burdon, prosecuting, said among the agreed facts were the complainant’s altercation with another person a few days before the “attack” and details of Tandy’s criminal past, including his previous convictions of actual bodily harm, common assault, gross bodily harm, kidnapping, false imprisonment.

Giving evidence in court, Tandy, of Swinburne Place, Rotherham, told Mr Francis Edusei, defending, that he was “not really proud of” his past.

He added he had met with the complainant after his release from prison, where he had been sent for burglary in 2019.

Tandy said: “She (the complainant) had a drug habit.

“She was using crack cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy, tablets — I did not know what they were.

“She was drinking alcohol every day — in the morning and before going to sleep at night.”

Tandy said he had not smoked (drugs) with the woman.

He said on June 19, in 2021, the day on the alleged offences occurred, the complainant had started drinking in the morning.

Tandy said they had gone to a pub in the town centre and “as soon as we got back, she started smoking crack cocaine”.

He added: “I was not happy about her smoking crack cocaine at all,” he said.

“She was smoking it (crack cocaine) almost every day.

“I found out that she had been selling her body to fund this habit.”

Tandy claimed that he had gone out to walk his dog and when he had gotten back to the property she “was still smoking”.

He said he had gone to bed but later woken to the sound of the complainant scraping her crack pipe.

He said: “I was not happy about having crack cocaine at the property at all.

“I just asked her to stop.

“I did not grab her.

“She said she needed more money. I have got no money for you, I said.

“I never assaulted her.

“When I failed to give her money, she started to throw things at me.

“She poured ash all over her head.

“She did it (black spots under her eyes) for herself.”

The trial continues.