A HEREFORDSHIRE man pushed his pregnant ex-girlfriend after she refused to let him have his laptop back, a court has heard.

Sean Meaney admitted using violence to enter a property, assaulting a police officer by beating, and using threatening or abusive words and behaviour when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

He and the victim had been in an on-off relationship since 2020, before splitting up early this year, prosecutor Mark Hambling said.

Meaney and his support worker went to her home on January 22 to collect his computer, but when she refused him access, telling him she would call the police if he did not leave, Meaney pushed past her, retrieving his laptop and leaving.

An ambulance was called to the house, but checks confirmed that the victim, who is pregnant, was not hurt.

Police were later sent to Meaney's home, and when they told Meaney he was under arrest for the earlier incident, he threatened to smash a sergeant's head in.

A struggle started and the sergeant was knocked off balance, falling over and pressing his emergency button.

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Chris Read, for Meaney, said the 25-year-old is autistic and supported by social services.

"This situation did not come out of the blue," Mr Read said.

"He had left items of property at this address and went with his support worker to collect them. The victim was resistant to this and so he pushed past her, got his laptop, and they went. She made a number of allegations, but luckily his support worker was there and was able to tell police that none of that had happened."

The court heard that Meaney does not handle stress well and that he cannot abide physical contact.

"His reaction to police was very predictable," Mr Read said.

"He had a number of officers in his flat and he was being told he had done something he had not done."

The court heard from a probation report that Meaney relies very heavily on his computer as he struggles with social situations and people, and that his ex-partner had previously told him he could go and retrieve it.

Meaney, of Ballinger Court, Hereford, was handed a 12-month community order and a 12-month restraining order. He was also fined £80 and must pay costs of £135 and a £95 victim surcharge.