A MAN who attacked his partner in the street and then a Good Samaritan who came to rescue her has been sent to prison.

James Michael Penketh lashed out in an 'unpleasant and gratuitous' assault after he had been drinking, a court heard.

Witnesses said he 'rugby tackled' his partner to the ground and kicked her 'as if he was taking a penalty kick'.

The woman was left with a 'golf ball-sized bruise' on her face.

Penketh, aged 22, of Ranelagh Road, Weymouth appeared at Dorchester Crown Court having previously pleaded guilty to charges of assault occasioning actuality bodily harm and assault by beating.

He also admitted breaching a suspended custodial sentence.

The assaults took place in May in Woolcombe Road, Portland.

The court heard Penketh’s partner did not wish to assist the police, and evidence of the assaults had been taken from witnesses at the scene.

Penketh, under the influence of alcohol, had been witnessed by two people assaulting his partner in the street at around 1pm.

One witness described Penketh ‘rugby tackling’ his partner to the ground before punching her in the head.

Another witness, at work cutting grass nearby, said he saw Penketh kick his partner.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, read an extract from this witness’s statement, which read: “It was as if he was taking a football penalty kick.”

The court heard this witness then went to put a stop to proceedings before Penketh turned on him. The male victim was punched in the shoulder whilst Penketh’s partner suffered facial injuries.

Mr Welling said: “Later on, the eyes, on one of them at the very least, ended up with a very large golf ball sized bruise on her face.”

The court heard Penketh was a man of bad character, with a list of 10 previous convictions for various offences.

Last July he received an eight week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months. This was extended to 16 months in March this year after he committed further offences.

Jodie Mittell, mitigating, said Penketh’s pre-sentence report indicated his offending behaviour had been linked to his use of alcohol.

Ms Mittell said Penketh and his partner had ‘to an extent’ reconciled, with Penketh’s partner asking him to address his alcohol problem.

Ms Mitell said Penketh had taken steps to do so and was looking to make best use of his time in custody.

Recorder Simon Levene described Penketh’s actions on his partner as an ‘unpleasant and gratuitous assault’ and urged Penketh to address his alcohol problem.

He said: “You have to address this if your life is not to get worse, and worse and worse, and for her life not to get worse, and worse and worse.”

Recorder Levene sentenced Penketh to eight months imprisonment for the assault on his partner, and four months imprisonment for the assault on her rescuer. Both will run concurrently.

In addition, Penketh’s suspended custodial sentence has been fully activated, to run consecutively. The overall length of sentence is 10 months.