A woman attacked by her partner was screaming for him to stop and feared that he would kill her.

A court heard how she had been kicked repeatedly about ten times.

Matthew James Maxwell, of Vyrnwy Road in Saltney, admitted assaulting Karen John at her home in Shotton on February 13, occasioning her actual bodily harm.

At Flintshire magistrates’ court, the 42-year-old received a 14 week prison sentence, suspended for a year.

Improving relationships

He was sent on an “improving relationships” course run by the probation service and ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work.

Maxwell was also ordered to pay £100 compensation, £250 court costs and an £80 surcharge.

An indefinite restraining order was made under which he is not to approach Miss John, he is not to go within 100 metres of her address or within 50 metres of her place of employment.

Police had received a report that she had been left “black and blue” in an incident and she attended Deeside Police Station where her injuries were photographed and she made a statement of complaint.

Lived and worked together

They had known each other for two years, had been in an 18 month relationship and lived together.

Both worked at the same care home in Hawarden but it was alleged that he would be verbally abusive and call her demeaning names in an aggressive way.

That day there had been an argument, she went shopping with her daughter but feared problems on her return home and even bought him a present.

When she returned home she believed he had been drinking, he threw the present back at her, called her names and grabbed her around the neck and shouted at her.

Kicked ten times

In the living room something impacted with her forehead, causing pain, and she was thrown to the floor where she was kicked hard about ten times.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson said that she screamed at him to stop and she thought he was going to kill her.

He shouted he was a cage fighter and knew where to hit her.

Her phone was smashed and she was able to crawl away on her hands and knees.

Concerned neighbours

She was struggling to move when there was a knock on the door – concerned neighbours had come to see if she was alright and she was taken to their home for half an hour.

That night she slept in the spare room, in the morning told him it was over and she was taken to the police station to report what had happened.

Defending barrister Simon Leong said Maxwell had pleaded guilty before his trial date at a time when the complainant had withdrawn her statement.

It had been a toxic relationship, he said, where alcohol played a significant part in their social life.

Lost relationship, home and job

As a result of the incident he had lost his relationship, his home and his job because both worked at the same care home.

He had moved and obtained a job as a fire safety officer in Chester but was currently unemployed.

The defendant appreciated drink had played a part and that in drink he was unpleasant to his partner.

Mr Leong said Maxwell had sought to address his problems, was attending AA three times a week and would welcome any opportunity to cement the progress he was making with the assistance of the probation service.

“He is remorseful,” he explained.

Maxwell appreciated they were serious offences, he had brought a bag with him to court, but Mr Leong suggested that a suspended sentence would meet the justice of the case.

Magistrates said that it was a nasty offence which warranted custody but it would be suspended.