AN angry dad left his ex-partner with a broken arm after pushing her down the steps outside his home, a court heard.

Burnley magistrates were told how Andrew Suthers, 41, went back into his house and shut the door after the assault, last December 14.

The hearing was told how victim Naomi Moore, a mother-of-four, had gone to collect the child she had by the defendant and had banged on the door. Ms Moore, who has an eight-month-old baby, could not sleep after the incident, only went out of the house to take her children to school and felt she was a burden on her family as she had needed help. In her victim impact statement, she told how people had been asking what had happened to her arm because it was in plaster and she had told them she fell in the garden, as she was too ashamed to tell them the truth.

Suthers, who has a previous conviction for domestic violence involving the same victim, had denied assault causing actual bodily harm, but had recently been convicted after a trial. The defendant, of Tor View, Rawtenstall, was given a community order with 250 hours unpaid work and a one month curfew, between 7pm and 7am, seven days a week.

He was also given a two year restraining order and must not enter Crabtree Avenue, Taylor Avenue and Fairfield Avenue, Waterfoot. Suthers must pay £250 compensation.