A man who slapped his girlfriend after an argument has been sentenced to eight weeks in prison.

Timothy Clark assaulted his ex-partner Danniella Coombes on August 5, 2014 hitting her in the face “with an open palm”.

He pleaded guilty to one count of assault at Stevenage Magistrates court on Friday.

Clark, 28, was issued with a restraining order against his former-partner, ordered to pay £85 in compensation and sentenced to eight weeks in prison.

This was then reduced to six weeks because of his earlier guilty plea.

Clark, of Warren Court, Harrow Road, Haverhill, hit Miss Coombes in a property in Ripon Road in August after an argument.

A witness statement by Miss Coombes was read out in court describing the incident: “It hurt so much it made me cry in pain.

“I could feel my upper lip was swelling, I could see that my mouth was swollen.”

Magistrate Kathryn Greenwood said Clark’s actions were “totally unacceptable” and that he had a history of domestic violence.

Mrs Greenwood advised Clark to: “Start a new chapter in your life and move on and away from her.”

A further charge of assault by beating and sending her grossly offensive messages by phone were dismissed by the court after Miss Coombes failed to attended the hearing.