A Bolton man who dragged his partner to the ground and kicked her head knocking her unconscious was told he should feel “everlasting shame” over the incident.

Arran Greer attacked his girlfriend in the street as she tried to leave their flat.

And when her friend intervened to try and stop the brutal assault he punched her.

Bolton Crown Court heard he struck on February 17 this year.

His partner came home with her friend and he began drinking.

When he overheard his partner telling the other woman they better leave he became violent.

Justin Heyhoe, prosecuting, said: “He punched her, grabbed her by the hair, dragged her to the floor and then struck her to the head.

“She passed out during the assault.”

He said while the friend “tried to intervene” he punched her “cutting her lip.”

Mr Heyhoe added: “A neighbour called the police because he thought the two females were going to be killed by the defendant.”

Greer, from Rishton Lane, Bolton, appeared in court to be sentenced after admitting actual bodily harm on his partner and assault by beating on her friend.

Mark Friend, defending, said he had made changes to his life since the incident and address his dependency on drugs and alcohol.

He said: “He has voluntarily sought the assistance of achieve.

“He finds himself in September 2023 in a position where he can give the dates on which he last drank and the dates on which he last took drugs.

Recorder Jon Close said: “The fact that you did this to someone who was trying to build a life with you should be a source of everlasting shame.”

But he decided to suspend the prison sentence.

He said: “This decision is not for you, you deserve to go to prison.

“The decision to suspend the sentence today is to allow the work to be done which will address your underlying issues.

“It is a means of protecting the next woman who has the misfortune to come across you.”

He suspended a sentence of one year and nine months for two years.

He ordered Greer to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, attend at 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and complete a drug rehabilitation requirement over nine months and also the building better relationships programme.

Greer, 36, was also ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to his former partner.

The judge also placed a restraining order on Greer banning him from coming into contact with both victims to run for ten years.