Man in 'horrific' attack on girlfriend - threatening her with a knife - is spared jail

Dean Morris launched the 'horrific' attack on his girlfriend after losing his temper, Stafford Crown Court heard.

The terrified victim, who had been threatened and had her top ripped, managed to flee to a neighbour's house.

She had bruises all over her face and parts of her body.

Morris, aged 40, of Huntsman's Walk, Rugeley, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

At the crown court hearing, Judge Mark Eades gave him a 15-month sentence suspended for two years and was ordered to do 150 hours unpaid community work.

He also ordered him to pay his now ex-partner £1,000 compensation, plus £100 surcharge.

He said: "We all of us lose our temper from time to time, but we don't all resort to violence, in particular violence on someone weaker than you.

"The attack you perpetrated was horrific, it was sustained and you delivered blows all over her body - you punched her, pulled her hair, kicked her legs."

Mr Delroy Henry, prosecuting, said it was not known what started the argument in the couple's home in June last year.

They had been together for seven years and had a son.

They split in January last year, but got back together in April.

Mr Henry said on the day of the attack the pair had been to a pub, and the argument started when they got back home.

Morris pushed her on to a sofa and struck her with a number of blows to the face and pulled her hair.

He ripped her top and eventually produced a kitchen knife to threaten her. Mr Henry said the victim was terrified.

Morris later apologised to his partner and told her 'I don't know why I did it - you are the love of my life'.

In an impact statement, the victim said she now had a new partner and had put the relationship with Morris behind her.

Mr Martin Liddiard, defending Morris, said: "She has moved on and my client is beginning to do so.

"This was not a premeditated incident. He completely lost his temper, something which is unlikely to happen again."