A WESTHOUGHTON man took a baseball bat to his partner after she told him she was leaving.

Bolton Crown Court heard Paul Longworth had been in a relationship with the woman in question since last year but became abusive.

In June this year he was said to be paranoid and under the influence of cannabis when he woke her in the early hours of the morning and told her to make him a cup of tea.

The woman obliged but then said would be leaving him. She packed up some items into a bag but Longworth became angry.

Alistair Reid, prosecuting, said Longworth told her: "I won’t just break one finger I will break them all.”

The pair then sat on the sofa for five minutes in silence.

Mr Reid added as she approached the door she “turned and saw a blue metallic baseball bat.

“She was concerned about injuries as she has an ongoing bone condition.

“He raised the bat to shoulder height striking her on the right ribs causing her to cry out in pain.

“She ran away, rang her mother and called the police.”

After police were called they searched the house and Longworth, 33, inadvertently drew their attention to the bat he had used.

Longworth, from Furze Avenue appeared in court to be sentenced after admitting assaulting the woman, who was left with bruises to her ribs and legs as a result.

Paul Treble, defending, said his client was sorry for his actions.

He said: “He regrets what happened. He is remorseful for it.

“He committed the offence because he was paranoid and he was smoking too much cannabis.

“He has stopped that and intends to continue a drug free life.”

Imposing a sentence, Recorder Michael Blakey said as Longworth had been in custody since the offence, a community order would serve as a more appropriate punishment.

He placed him on a community order to last for 18 months and ordered him to do 30 hours of the Building Better Relationships programme. Longworth must also undertake 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 40 hours of unpaid work.