Dragons' Den winner 'punched pregnant girlfriend leaving her unconscious'
A Dragons' Den winner has been accused of punching his pregnant partner in the face.
Ross Mendham, 40, knocked his seven-month-pregnant girlfriend unconscious, a court has heard. The entrepreneur appeared on BBC investment show Dragons' Den where he won £60,000 thanks to his noodle and pasta business back in 2013. He has now been accused of punching his partner on December 2 last year.
Mendham denied assault causing actual bodily harm. He appeared at Norwich Crown Court through a video link from HMP Norwich on Wednesday 3 January. Mendham, of Cringleford, Norwich spoke to confirm his name and enter his plea of not guilty. The businessman was remanded in custody to appear for trial in June this year.
Mendham has denied assault causing actual bodily harm (rossmendham5/Instagram)
The businessman won an investment on Dragons' Den in 2013 (rossmendham5/Instagram)He is the son of former Norwich City footballer Peter Mendham and wore a sand-coloured jumper for his court appearance on Wednesday. There are three types of assault offence, common assault, grievous bodily harm/wounding and actual bodily harm. Actual bodily harm (ABH) means the assault has caused some hurt or injury to the victim.
Physical injury does not need to be serious or permanent but must be more than “trifling” or “transient”, which means it must at least cause minor injuries or pain or discomfort. The maximum sentence for actual bodily harm is five years' custody, however, if the assault is racially or religiously aggravated, the maximum sentence is seven years’ custody.
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Sentences are worked out by assessing harm of the damage caused to the victim by the assault and the culpability of how responsible the offender was in the assault. Mendham, who has tattoos on his face and neck, received an investment from Dragons' Den star Peter Jones. He was impressed with his Bare Naked Foods business which sells low-calorie and low-carbohydrate pasta, rice and noodles.
His products have been stocked in supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Morrisons. However, during his appearance on Dragons' Den, Mendham faced scrutiny from the other Dragons as he failed to prove if his products were gluten-free.
He also didn't know what his profit margins were and ended up in tears as he tried to carry on his pitch. Mendham had to leave the room to compose himself but returned to find offers from some Dragons. Deborah Meaden and Kelly Hoppen declared they were out, but Peter stumped up 60 grand. Duncan Bannatyne offered the same - or £30,000 for 25 per cent, opening the opportunity to another Dragon.
Mendham launched his own fashion brand in 2022. God of Design (GOD) focuses on upcycling vintage and designer clothing. He is also a former bodybuilder.
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