A PENSIONER who beat up his partially-disabled girlfriend has been warned he is being watched by police, a court heard yesterday.

Jack Smith, 67, would beat up partner Carole Pickup when he got drunk, but she stayed with him because she loved him, Burnley Magistrates heard.

In the latest beating Smith dragged Mrs Pickup out of bed, started punching her and told her: "Here we go again."

He had been sentenced in court for attacking her just ten days earlier.

The bench heard Smith, who has been arrested six times in the past, had "repeatedly victimised," his girlfriend of six years.

Smith, of St Cuthberts Street, Burnley, admitted common assault and breach of a conditional discharge. He was given a 12 month community rehabilitation order, ordered to take part in a domestic violence programme and was told he would be monitored by the police domestic violence unit.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said on the night of the offence, the couple had been out to a club and then gone to bed. Smith then started ranting and raving and making insulting remarks about Mrs Pickup's son.

In the following row, he dragged her from the bed, punched her, pulled her downstairs, got hold of her by the throat and pulled her to the ground.

Mrs Pickup was terrified and suffered bruises.

Graeme Tindall, defending, said Smith did not accept everything in Mrs Pickup's statement. She had not wanted the case to proceed and had made a retraction statement, but it was not up to a victim if the case went ahead or not.

The couple were now reconciled, but did not live together. Smith had recently been in hospital and Mrs Pickup had helped nurse him back to health.