A WEST Dorset man has admitted two assault charges against a former partner.

James Jonathan Fenton, aged 37, initially denied two charges of assault by beating and an offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

After his trial began at Dorchester Crown Court he changed his plea on one of the assault by beating charges to guilty.

While he still denied the charge of actual bodily harm in relation to an incident in August last year, he admitted a lesser charge of assault by beating in relation to that incident.

Fenton continued to deny the first assault and the Crown Prosecution Service accepted his pleas.

The two assault charges he admitted both involved Fenton’s former partner, with the first taking place in his home in Grove Road, Burton Bradstock, on May 22 last year.

The second assault took place at an apartment in Bristol on the night of August 17 when they had gone away for a weekend.

The court was told the victim suffered various injuries including a cut lip, swollen knee, bruising and marks to her neck.

The case was adjourned while a pre-sentence report is prepared and Fenton will return to court to be sentenced on May 16.