Ceramicist smashed his pots in front of terrified wife after flying into rage because he couldn’t watch rugby on TV, court hears

Jeremy Broadway was cleared of two assault charges after magistrates heard allegations that he attacked his wife and daughter during an argument at their Dorset home. His wife said he lost his temper after being unable to find an England-Australia rugby match on television, and smashed pottery in their studio; the case matters because the court found the prosecution evidence did not prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

The alleged incident took place on 1 November last year in Child Okeford. Catherine Broadway told the court that her husband grabbed her apron and pushed her against a sink, while their daughter Sam said she punched him after he advanced towards her; Broadway denied assaulting either of them and denied smashing the pots. Magistrates said the wife’s and daughter’s accounts were inconsistent and contradictory at times, and found him not guilty.