'The courts will not tolerate domestic violence': Man attacked his girlfriend at Leeds hotel, forced her out of his car on M1, then trashed her home and car with paint

Jamie Belk was locked up for 26 months by a judge who described his behaviour as "particularly cowardly and despicable."

Leeds Crown Court heard the incident began at Thorpe Park Hotel and Spa, near Colton, on February 13.

Nathan Davis, prosecuting, said the couple had arranged to stay overnight at the hotel.

Belk carried out the attack after drinking a bottle of Southern Comfort and becoming angry after he received negative feedback about his painting and decorating business.

Mr Davis said the woman went to leave their room but he pushed her to the ground then hit her with a metal suitcase trolley.

The 31-year-old defendant then ripped a TV off the wall of their room and hit his partner over the head with it.

The victim managed to calm Belk down and persuaded him that they should leave the hotel.

They left in his Audi A3 but Belk became angry again when his partner pointed out that he had missed their turn off on the M1.

Belk punched her and she briefly lost consciousness.

Mr Davis said the victim managed to flag down a HGV and the driver was kind enough to take her home.

Belk turned up at the property at 5am and was apologetic.

He became violent again later in the morning when the victim saw how bad her injuries were and confronted him.

The woman left the house with her 13-year-old son.

Belk followed, picked up a tin of paint from the garden and threw it at her car window.

He then went back inside the house and poured paint over her living room floor and sofa.

Belk caused more damage by turning on taps and dropping a microwave on the kitchen floor.

The defendant threw white paint into the bedrooms and left his footprints in paint throughout the property.

The prosecutor said Belk then went back outside holding a "police-style baton".

The total damage caused was worth £4,000 in the house, £2,000 to the car and £900 at the hotel.

Belk, of Harley View, Bramley, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and three of criminal damage.

Glenn Parsons, mitigating, said Belk is still in a relationship with the woman.

The barrister said the victim had written a letter to the court describing his actions as out of character, but she accepted he should be punished for what he had done.

Mr Parsons said: "He has worked for 16 years as a painter and decorator and had a very good reputation.

"He had a customer who criticised his work and he took it very badly and very personally that night.

"He drank a lot and it then degenerated into an argument and he behaved in the way that has been set out."

Sentencing, Judge Robin Mairs said: "In a particularly cowardly and despicable act, you effectively dumped her at the side of the road in the early hours of the morning, injured and vulnerable.

"You left her prey to what whatever would pass."

Referring to his behaviour at the victim's home, Judge Mairs said: "That is quite a bill for your rage and anger.

"This was a drunken assault and a sustained assault with no regard for your partner or her son.

"The courts will not tolerate domestic violence."