Even in the healthiest of relationships, a lovers' quarrel will break out every now and then. Sometimes it'll be over something small, like whose turn it is to do the dishes, but other times it'll concern some huge, serious situation, such as infidelity, or who gets to pick what to watch on Netflix.
The sign of a good relationship, however, is not how often you do or do not argue, but how well you deal with an issue once it has arisen.
And in those kinds of scenarios, one thing should always be made explicitly clear: violence is never the answer.
Unfortunately, though, it does happen, and severe cases will often end up being taken to court. This is reportedly exactly what happened between 34-year-old Colin Comiskey and his former girlfriend, Ellen Van De Vusse, after he got in a drunken row with her and allegedly committed assault... with a roast chicken.
The incident happened back in January of this year, at which point the London-based couple had already ended their three-year relationship in a rather violent manner.
"There was an argument, on a date which the complainant is not sure," explained prosecutor Aimee Emby last month. "The defendant, upon being told the relationship was over, kicked her out of the bed. No injuries were sustained."
Then, months later, Comiskey attacked his former partner again - this time using a roast chicken he'd brought round for dinner.
"The defendant took hold of the complainant by her arms and squeezed them tightly, stopping her getting into the kitchen," Emby said. "He then threw some food at her. Some of the food struck her on the back."
Earlier this week, Comiskey returned to court for a second hearing, at which point a more detailed account of the incident was provided by prosecutor Jonathan Bryan.
"The defendant arrived at 9.30pm. He was very drunk. He approached the complainant who was asleep," he said.
"He said he had brought her dinner. She said she was not hungry. His response was to push her in the chest. It did not hurt her, and she tried to walk away.
"He picked up a chicken and it hit her on the dressing gown, the kitchen and TV. He was very angry, clenching his fists."
Van De Vusse was apparently compelled to call the police at this point, as she feared for her safety. However, when she did, Comiskey said: "If you’re calling police, you’re going to regret it."
Thankfully, the woman was not seriously harmed during the attack, and managed to lock herself in the bathroom away from her ex-boyfriend until police arrived on the scene. However, that does not change the fact that Comiskey committed assault, and had been violent on previous occasions, too.
If found guilty of the crime, the 34-year-old could face up to six months in prison for assault by beating. He will be trialled in a couple of weeks, on July 12th.
