A THUG who beat up his partner in front of their young children has been jailed for 16 months.

Hannah Kell was left with a bruised eye, marks on her neck and a chipped tooth following the attack launched by Alastair Allen, who had drunk eight pints of lager during the day.

Lindsay Thomas, prosecuting, told Bolton Crown Court how Allen and Miss Kell had been together for five years and had two children, but the relationship deteriorated due to his drinking, arguments and his violence.

On May 5 the couple returned to their Park Street, Farnworth, home at 5pm after picking up the children from nursery, but an argument started whilst they were eating a meal.

Allen told Miss Kell to get out of the house and, when she refused, he punched her in the face, bursting her nose before pinning her to the floor and kicking and standing on her.

Mrs Thomas said the children’s screams alerted a neighbour, who knocked on the door and, through the window, saw Allen holding Miss Kell by the throat.

The neighbour took the children, aged four and two, who were splattered with blood, out of the house and Allen continued his attack on Miss Kell.

She fought back, scratching, biting and punching him before grabbing him by the throat and managing to flee the house.

The neighbour took her into her house and police were called.

In a statement read out in court Miss Kell said: “I’m just happy I left the house alive because I thought he was going to kill me.”

Allen, aged 30, of Cross Street, Bolton, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm. The court heard it is his second conviction for assaulting Miss Kell.

Kimberley Morton, defending, said that because of the amount he had drunk, Allen has little recollection of the latest assault and was shocked when shown photographs of Miss Kell’s injuries.

“He became very upset and said he couldn’t remember having done this,” she said.

Mrs Morton added that Allen is now seeking help for his alcohol addiction.

“He fully accepts that he has a significant, life-changing problem with alcohol,” she said.

Sentencing Allen to 16 months in prison, Judge Elliot Knopf told him: “This was, on any analysis, an appalling outburst of violence on your part.

“It may well be without the drink this may never have happened – but happen it did.

“A neighbour was, happily, able to remove the children from this mayhem.”