SCRANTON - A Scranton man punched his girlfriend in the face, flipped over their dining room table and ordered her to fix it before going to sleep early Wednesday after she failed to "stick up" for him in an argument with her brother at a Christmas gathering, police said.
Robert Newton, 36, 2042 Edna Ave., Scranton, admitted to city police that he has an anger problem and that he flipped the table, but denied hitting his girlfriend, Vanessa Cooper.
Ms. Cooper did have a chipped tooth, however, and after Mr. Newton ran into their home's basement upon officers' arrival he was arrested on charges of simple assault and harassment.
He was remanded to the Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Dec. 31.