A MAN who kicked and punched his partner as she lay on the ground has been given a suspended prison sentence.

The woman’s cheek was so swollen after the attack by William David Bell, she went to hospital with a suspected broken cheekbone, said Victoria Sims, prosecuting.

The victim told police the couple had argued at their central York home and Bell had punched her face several times.

She had fallen to the floor, where Bell kicked her legs and punched her head.

Doctors at York Hospital carried out checks and declared that her cheekbone was not broken.

Bell, 49, now of Portland Mews, Bridlington, pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm.

York magistrates gave him a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months on condition he does 180 hours unpaid work. He was ordered to pay a £115 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Bell claimed to police that the woman had hit him. He had a previous conviction for domestic violence in 2011.

District judge Adrian Lower told him: “Two wrongs don’t make a right.

“One might have thought at the age of 49 you would have learnt by now there are ways of dealing with difficulties that arise in relationships without resorting to violence.

“You were upset, you were drunk, you reacted in a way that shows you have some insight because you are sorry about it.”

For Bell, Steve Munro said: “He feels terrible about what happened.”

A probation report before the magistrates said the relationship was over and Bell had moved out. He had significant debts.

Bell told the probation officer the couple had been drinking double measures of spirits with a pub meal on June 2.

They had argued there and the argument continued when they got back home.

Ms Sims said the woman called police out. When officers arrived they saw that she had a very swollen face.

She was taken to York Hospital Accident and Emergency for treatment.