Art Expert Who Thumped Wife Given Marriage Counselling Thumbs-Up

A former Christie's art expert, who slapped his wife across the face while driving in busy west London as their two children watched from the rear seat, had a restraining order amended today to allow the couple to seek marriage counselling.

Art dealer Damian Brenninkmeyer, 43, a member of the Dutch dynasty that owns the C & A chain store is the former head of the Old Masters department in Christie's Amsterdam, having been their specialist in New York and also worked at New Bond Street auction house Bonhams and Butterfields.

He pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court last August to assaulting his wife of ten years Fiona Brenninkmeyer, 40, on July 8 and was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months and made subject to a six-month restraining order, banning him from their luxury Fulham home and contacting his wife.

He was also ordered to complete a domestic rehabilitation course and pay £120 costs after the court heard violence against his wife stretched back to their honeymoon when she was eight months pregnant.

Today, Brenninkmeyer, who now lives with his father at The Water Gardens, Warren Road, Kingston-upon-Thames appeared at the same court along with Fiona and the order was amended to allow contact between the couple for the purposes of counselling.

"There is a letter from Mrs Brenninkmeyer saying why she wants the order varied," said Miss Stephanie Roe, defending. "The variation is to amend the terms to allow counselling."

The order was due to expire on February 28, but Miss Roe added: "They want to start marriage counselling before then."

Agreeing to amend the order bench chairman Mr. S. Elia told Brenninkmeyer: "We have read the original witness statement from your wife and read her letter and we are satisfied that you have abided by all the conditions of your restraining order and there does seem to be a genuine wish by you and tour wife to have a go at salvaging your marriage.

"We all wish you all the best and hopefully this will be the last time you are here Mr. Brenninkmeyer."

Prosecutor Miss Helen Clutton did not oppose the application, explaining: "Mr. Brenninkmeyer was of previous good character and this is his only conviction.

"There was a caution on July 6, last year when Mr. Brenninkmeyer admitted he threw water on Mrs Brenninkmeyer a few days before this incident and punched her.

"The police assessed the risk at the time as standard. It has not changed and there have been no other incidents.

"They have not seen each other, there has been no other contact."

After Brenninkmeyer pleaded guilty last year prosecutor Mr. Paul Mitchell said the family were planning to drive to Mrs Brenninkmeyer's mother's home in Buckinghamshire on that Sunday afternoon.

"Mrs Brenninkmeyer could sense a bad mood and was afraid the defendant would get angry with her, but he assured her everything was going to be okay.

"They were driving along Fulham Palace Road when the defendant became aggressive and started shouting: 'I want to punish you for what you did to me'."

The court heard Brenninkmeyer was still angry with his wife for calling the police two days earlier and told her: "I'm going to break your phone and tell the accountant not to allow you to have another.

"She said: 'Please calm down for the kids', but he started to bash his fists on the steering wheel while they were still moving," explained Mr. Mitchell.

"He then back-hand hit her across the right side of her face.

"He was driving erratically so she decided to call the police and grabbed her phone, but Mr. Brenninkmeyer grabbed her hand, clawing at her hand.

"He gave up, but grabbed her sunglasses from her lap and threw them out of the window.

"The right side of her face was throbbing and she could see bruising as the journey continued and at Beaconsfield Services she took the two girls into a service area and cried.

"Mr. Brenninkmeyer said: 'Why don't you get back in the car? You're causing a scene'."

There was another row back at the family home that night when Brenninkmeyer discovered his wife had taken money from their joint account to pay a cleaner and he pushed her down onto a sofa.

Brenninkmeyer's lawyer Mr. Mark Haslam told the court: "This is a marriage both parties think can be saved and there is an email from his wife to that effect."

  

The court also heard Brenninkmeyer has been undergoing treatment for anxiety.

On the sentencing date Mrs Clutton revealed there was a long history of domestic violence, explaining: "Mrs Brenninkmeyer says that she has been a victim of domestic violence since she was pregnant with her first child.

"When she was eight months pregnant they were on their honeymoon when he hit her, put his hand around her neck and pushed her onto the bed and hit her."