Details emerged at Ballymena Magistrates Court where Gareth McCrea (33), of Drumskea Road near Ballymoney, was sentenced on charges of assault and causing criminal damage to a door.

A prosecutor said that on April 27 this year police received a report of an "ongoing domestic". The woman ran out of property towards police and officers could see she had blood around her mouth, a cut on her wrist and a black and swollen eye.

The prosecutor said the woman told police that "following an argument" the defendant had pushed her and left the property. The woman had locked the doors but McCrea returned at 1.30am on April 27 and kicked in the back door and entered.

The woman said she was grabbed and thrown into a spare room where McCrea kicked and punched her on the body. She was "winded" by being kicked on the side in another incident and punched on the side of the head and when she fell to the ground he continued to punch and kick her.

A defence barrister said the couple are still in a relationship. He said the incident had been "totally reprehensible".

Reading from the complainant's statement, District Judge Nigel Broderick said the woman had said: 'I feel that if the police had not come I would be dead.'

The judge said it was an "appalling example of domestic violence". He jailed the defendant for eight months. £500 bail was fixed for appeal.