A MAN who lost his temper during an argument with his ex snapped her mobile phone in half after she had used it to call the police.

Anthony Rowson went to visit her at her home in Chard and after having a few drinks suggested they got back together but she said she just wanted to be friends.

The defendant then began saying hurtful things towards her and showed her a photo of another woman when things got physical, and during a tussle he pinned her down by her wrists before breaking her phone.

Rowson, 28, of Eastbourne Road, Taunton, admitted assaulting the complainant by beating her during the incident at Chard on April 29 when he appeared before Somerset Magistrates.

Christine Hart, prosecuting, said when Rowson went round to the victim’s home they decided to relax and have a few drinks and he spoke about getting back together with her.

“However she said she just wanted to be friends and then started to say hurtful things towards her and she told him to leave,” she said.

“He refused and she told him to sleep off his alcohol in the car and she went upstairs and called the police from the bathroom to show Rowson that he had to leave.

“She showed him the call on her phone and he wrestled with her, pinning her down by her wrists and he then bent her phone in half snapping it.

The police eventually arrived and Rowson said he had been assaulted by the complainant and his nose was bleeding.”

During interview he said he had spent the day with the complainant and was due to go out but instead decided to “chill” with a few drinks.

He said the victim was drunk and brought up the past and asked for a photo of the girl he was seeing. He said t she assaulted him and threw his phone against the wall so he retaliated and snapped hers in half.

The court was told the victim made a retraction statement to the police and had received a replacement phone from the defendant’s mother.

She said she no longer wanted the prosecution to go ahead saying she said she knew Rowson was sorry for what he had done. Rowson told the magistrates that the victim had brought up the past and started talking about it and he showed her a photo of the girl.

“She then threw my phone against the wall and that was the reason why I threw her phone,” he said.

“She assaulted me and that is why I restrained her arms and I replaced her phone straight away.

“I am sorry for what I did and know it’s not acceptable and I never want to be in court again.”

Rowson was sentenced to a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.