A MAN who smashed a glass into the face of his girlfriend without apparent warning has been jailed for a year.

Mark Etchell was in breach of a previous suspended sentence for drug dealing following the attack on the woman on May 1 this year.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the 49-year-old defendant had previously been given an 18 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, after police stopped his car and found him in possession of 43 wraps of heroin worth £430.

The victim was left bloodied by the glass attack which happened as they ate lunch at the home they shared and told police she could not see any reason why Etchell had attacked her without warning.

Martin Towers, mitigating, said it had been a momentary loss of control. He said the shop worker recognised the relationship he had with the victim was over and he had no wish to rekindle it.

Etchell, of Alhambra Terrace, Fishburn, County Durham, admitted assault by beating. He was said to have a good employment record and had successfully completed 200 hours community service as a result of a previous court order.