A drunken man punched his girlfriend in the face and stomach before dragging her into the street while her face was “grinding on the floor”.

John Urwin became violent after an argument erupted while they were both drinking heavily at his house.

Following the incident, he sent a video to her father as part of a cynical plan to “set up the defence” that she accidentally fell over, Hull Crown Court heard.

The 41-year-old, from Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, admitted assaulting the woman and causing actual bodily harm on April 16, 2021.

He originally denied the offence, and the case was listed for trial, but he changed his plea, reports Hull Live.

Eleanor Durdy, prosecuting, said that Urwin had been in a relationship with the woman for about eight months at the time.

It started off well but they began arguing. She went to his home in Goole and they were drinking.

Urwin’s mood changed and he started shouting at her and calling her names before becoming more aggressive.

She left the room but he followed her and punched her in the stomach, causing her to fall to the floor.

The woman punched Urwin back in self-defence and pleaded for him to stop but he refused and punched her in the face.

Urwin dragged her “face first” outside, with her face “grinding” on the ground.

He kicked her in the throat, causing swelling, before going back inside and leaving her outside.

“It was a prolonged and persistent assault,” said Miss Durdy.

Urwin made a video of his girlfriend and sent it to her father.

He later claimed that he filmed it because he did not want anyone thinking that he had beaten her up.

He claimed that he loved her and had put her to bed after she had been drinking.

When her father later saw a photograph of her injuries, including bruises, he called an ambulance.

On the way to York Hospital, she said that Urwin had assaulted her.

She had, at first, not mentioned an assault and pretended that she had fallen.

The woman later said that she suffered a constant throb and a headache in the days afterwards.

“I feel so afraid of John,” she said. “I have not eaten in four days.

“I have to drink from a straw. At night, my eyes are constantly watering.

“I am frightened of John being let out and coming to my flat.”

This was a reference to Urwin initially being kept in custody for about three weeks.

She had since left the Goole area and moved on to a new job.

Tayo Dasaolu, mitigating, said that father-of-two Urwin had few convictions and had been out of trouble for about 20 years.

He put some blame on the woman, who had been drinking, but he admitted his part in what happened.

He had been drinking and acted impulsively. “It’s not something that was premeditated or planned,” said Miss Dasaolu.

“He hopes to put this relationship behind him and move on with his life.”

Urwin was in a new relationship and was working for a fertiliser company.

Judge Mark Bury told Urwin: “Things were starting to go wrong, probably due to the fact that you and she were big drinkers.

“You punched her in the stomach and then in the face and then dragged her outside.

“Then you took a video. That wasn’t clever. Even less clever, you sent it to her father, no doubt to set up the defence that, accidentally, she fell over and was drunk.

“It’s totally unacceptable for you to punch, kick and drag your girlfriend.”

Urwin was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence, 60 hours’ unpaid work and 10 days’ rehabilitation.

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