POLICE called to a domestic in Great Harwood found a man with a knife wound to his neck and his partner with extensive bruising to her face.

Blackburn magistrates heard officers were told James Christopher Edwards had inflicted the wound on himself before suggesting to Johanne Embley that they should take an overdose of tablets together.

The court heard the ambulance and police were not called until two hours later when his father looked into the Loynd Street flat and realised something was wrong.

Edwards, 52, now of Barclay Court, Longridge, pleaded guilty to three charges of assaulting Miss Embley.

He was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months and made subject to a curfew between 8 pm and 6 am for four weeks and a restraining order for 18 months, which prohibits him from entering Loynd Street in Great Harwood.

He was ordered to pay £400 compensation, £200 costs and £115 victim surcharge.

Enza Geldard, prosecuting, said the first assault, on December 7, had been a single slap. On December 26 he had slapped her again, knocking her to the floor, where he had hit her repeatedly.

The third assault, in April, happened when both parties had been drinking and they returned to the home they shared in Loynd Street.

Miss Embley said they were having a row when he slapped and punched her. She fell to the floor where he slapped and punched her numerous times. At some stage she grabbed a glass bowl off the coffee table and threw it at the window causing both to smash before running out of the house in her bare feet.

"She said that when she went back into the house he was on the kitchen floor with blood spurting from his neck," said Mrs Geldard. "She saw a dark handled knife in the blood on the floor. He said he wanted to kill himself and said they should go together."

Miss Embley initially lied to the police, saying she had fallen downstairs, because she still loved her attacker.

Ben Leech, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and for many years had worked as an NVQ assessor for Training 2000.

"He knows that as a result of his guilty pleas today he will lose that job," said Mr Leech.

Edwards had initially pleaded not guilty to all three charges but Mr Leech said he now accepted his actions did not amount to self-defence.

"He remembers going back to the apartment and he recalls asking her for help with the injury," said Mr Leech. "What has been difficult for him to come to terms with is that he was asking for help and it seems she didn't call the ambulance. The police were called two hours after the incident.

"He realises this is a relationship which can't be reconciled," added Mr Leech.