A 22 year old man dragged his partner into a back alley and repeatedly punched and kicked her about the head, body and legs, a court was told.

Hyndburn magistrates heard that minutes before the assault the victim had asked a passer-by for help but after talking to Damien Graeme Duckworth the man had continued on his way.

Duckworth, 22, of Redearth Road, Darwen, pleaded guilty to assaulting Jodi French.

He was sentenced to 120 days in prison suspended for two years, made subject to community supervision for two years with a condition he attends the domestic violence programme and ordered to pay £100 compensation to Miss French.

Philippa White, prosecuting, said the couple had been drinking at a friend's house and Miss French conceded they were both drunk as they walked home around midnight.

A couple of weeks prior to the incident Miss French had spent the night on a friend's settee and Duckworth kept having a go at her, accusing her of being unfaithful.

Deborah Morgan, defending, said Duckworth had been drinking for eight hours and could not recall the events.

"A close friend hanged himself a few years ago and that was closely followed by two deaths in his family," said Miss Morgan.

"Those events were the trigger for him starting to drink heavily."