Feckless father of 11 Keith MacDonald faces jail over attack on ex-lover

A SHAMELESS love cheat who has fathered 11 children with 10 women is facing jail after attacking an ex-girlfriend and their three-year-old in a row over sunglasses.

By: John Carr Mon, July 15, 2013

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Keith MacDonald and Clare Bryant together in 2009

Keith MacDonald, 28, punched and kicked Clare Bryant before the toddler was hit on the head when he flung open the fridge.

Miss Bryant, who has had two children with jobless MacDonald, suffered cuts and scratches.

MacDonald pleaded guilty to two charges of assault at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Paul Doney, prosecuting, said MacDonald went to Miss Bryant’s house in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, on June 11 to drop off some cash while she was getting her two daughters, aged three and two, ready to go out.

After being told to go away, MacDonald asked Miss Bryant for his sunglasses.

She said she would get them and told him to wait. Mr Doney told the court: “He tried to push past her, then grabbed her hair and pulled her down before kicking her in the face and punching her to the head.”

The pair then argued about her owing his uncle money for a fridge, which MacDonald said he would “wreck”. MacDonald, of Sunderland,threw the fridge door open, hitting the three-year-old.

Miss Bryant forced him out of the house, throwing his sunglasses after him, added Mr Doney.

The service report will look at all options including prison

All I could think, when Keith was punching me to the face, was: ‘Oh my God, I hope the bruises don’t show when I take the bairns to school’

Clare Bryant

Mother and child were taken to hospital. The toddler was not physically injured but Miss Bryant suffered “a four-inch graze on her neck and cuts on her hand”.

In a statement read to the court, Miss Bryant said: “All I could think, when Keith was punching me to the face, was: ‘Oh my God, I hope the bruises don’t show when I take the bairns to school’.”

Gavin Sword, defending, said the couple had been back living together for two weeks but MacDonald wanted to leave against her wishes. He said: “He accepts there was a struggle and in the course of that struggle he caused the injuries.

A sharp nail was sticking out and he thinks she cut her hand on that.”

Mr Sword said MacDonald had not intended to hit the girl, but accepted his actions were reckless and was seeking help for his anger.

MacDonald has a history of violent behaviour and has refused to pay for the upkeep of his many children, leaving taxpayers to foot a benefit bill of around £2million.

He was granted bail while a probation service report is prepared, looking at all options including prison. Jean Brown, bench chairman, said he must wear an electronic curfew tag, being monitored 7pm to 7am.

The couple got engaged in 2009. At the time she said: “Some people say he’s a bad dad – and, as he doesn’t see his children, for all I know he might be. But I think he’d be brilliant with our child."