Ballymena man punched partner on side of the head and asked: 'How do you like that?'
Out of the blue a man punched his partner to the head and asked: "How do you like that?"
Details were given to Ballymena Magistrates' Court regarding Hugo Casey (53), of Devenagh Way in Ballymena. He had no record.
On January 19 this year a woman told police she was sitting on a sofa when the defendant punched her to the right side of her head and it started to bleed. He then punched her to the left side of the head and said: "How do you like that?"
She fell to the floor and as she tried to get up the defendant rammed his knee into the side of her knee causing her to buckle.
She said: "You are hurting me" and Casey replied: "I know," the prosecutor said. On January 23 she was again punched to the head.
The defendant admitted slapping her but denied punching. On March 13 this year the defendant punched the woman to her shoulder.
A defence barrister said Casey is a "chronic alcoholic". District Judge Nigel Broderick said it was a "very serious case of domestic violence".
He said it was "totally unacceptable" to assault anybody but punching a woman to the head could cause significant injury.
"Any blow aimed around the head area must be regarded as a serious matter by the courts and is so."
Although the defendant had a clear record the judge said he was jailing him for four months. £500 bail was fixed for appeal.