A MAN who attacked his former partner because she refused to get out of bed to answer the front door has been jailed.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Jason McCash, who had been in a long-term abusive relationship with his victim, left her battered and bruised following the incident in 2017.

Prosecuting, Paul Dockery said: “On November 6 last year, the defendant and the complainant were living together at an address in Wellington Street in Accrington. It was the bottom flat of a number of flats. There was a knock at their door which was the victim’s son who had come to collect a bag.

“As both the defendant and the complainant were in bed there was a dispute about who should answer the door.

“Ultimately it was the defendant who answered the door. He gave the victim’s son the bag he had asked for, slammed the door and returned to the bedroom.

“He punched the victim to the head. He was muttering to himself. She thought it was best to go to the bathroom to get dressed.

“The defendant issued a warning to her not to leave the flat.”

The court heard when the 36-year-old complainant tried to escape McCash followed her into the communal hallway, grabbed her and manhandled her back into the flat.

She was then punched to the body, pushed onto the sofa and then hit with series of blows.

When the victim tried to kick herself free, McCash berated her and ‘made it clear everything that was happening was her fault’.

The victim managed to get up, stick her head out of the window and shout for help. And when McCash dragged her back in she told him the police were on their way.

At that point he left the the flat.

Mr Dockery said that after 15 minutes the police had not arrived so the victim left the flat as well. But she bumped into the defendant. They walked around for a period of time before returning to the flat. The victim then walked to the town centre where she met the police.

The court heard how the victim had a number of injuries to her face, nose and eyes.

She also had significant bruising to the collarbone, cuts to the back of her hand and bruising to the under side of her arms.

McCash, 34, of Wellington Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and breaching a conditional discharge for an offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Defending, Mark Stuart said: “This is an unedifying and unpleasant incident. Because it is a matter of domestic violence we accept it crosses the custody threshold. It’s just a question of length.”

Judge Simon Medland QC said: “Nothing could possibly justify your laying of fists on her, causing a series of bruises, lacerations and unpleasant injuries.”

McCash was jailed for 10 months.