A MAN carried out a vicious attack on his partner -- repeatedly banging her head against a wall -- after coming home drunk, a court heard.

Janice Isherwood suffered a fractured nose, plus multiple bruises to the face, chest, back and both arms in the incident.

John Creasey, who admitted attacking her, was given an 18-month community rehabilitation order by a judge at Preston Crown Court.

He has been on remand for over four months and was told that new provisions recently introduced by the government regarding the early release of prisoners,meant the 22-year-old would do less than five months for an eighteen-months sentence.

Judge Robert Brown told the defendant: "Although my instinct was to impose a custodial sentence, it seems that it is in the public interest, your interest, and very much in the interest of Janice Isherwood, for you to be subjected to a lengthy rehabilitation order, which would require you to address some problems."

Creasey, of Rockcliffe Street, Blackburn, had pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

Mark Stuart, defending, said "This was an appalling piece of behaviour which merits a custodial sentence. He has little or no recollection

of the incident because he had had drunk far too much."