A FATHER who returned home drunk from an evening of drinking assaulted his partner before stuffing his 15-month-old son up his jumper and walking into the streets at 3am.

Steven Wood got to Grace Lewis's house at 2.30am on Saturday, January 5, having spent the afternoon and evening drinking wine, larger and vodka at a pub and friend's house.

Miss Lewis was trying to feed their son Oliver and asked Wood to be quiet but he became argumentative.

Paul Ricketts, prosecuting, said: "While they were in bed Oliver rolled away from Grace Lewis. She attempted to pick him up but Wood prevented her from doing so.

"Wood was pulling at Oliver's legs and mid-riff to get him back. During this, Wood butted Grace Lewis and punched her in the face, the result of which was she let go of Oliver."

Twenty-four-year-old Wood then took Oliver, who was wearing a nappy and thin vest, downstairs and tried to take him out of the house.

Miss Lewis locked the back door, but Wood pushed her against it, pinning her to it, butted her once again, and grabbed her hair, forcing her to the ground.

Wood then went to the front door, where again Miss Lewis tried to prevent him from leaving with Oliver. But he grabbed her by the hair and managed to leave the property, in Madresfield Road, Malvern.

At 3.30am the police found Wood making his way towards the town's Elgar Avenue, where he lives, with Oliver under his jumper, and carrying an alcopop. They said he was "drunk and unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred." Wood then handed his son over to the police.

The father appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday and admitted assaulting Miss Lewis and being drunk in charge of a child.

The court was told he drank of couple of glasses of wine at a friend's house, before going to a pub where he drank a pint of Stella. He then went back to his friend's house and had a pint of vodka and coke, before going to another friend's house where he drank two glasses of wine and some alcopops.

Mark Lister, defending, said: "The incident was clearly a very distressing one and Wood does not seek to suggest any part was not true. He simply has no recollection.

"He is utterly ashamed of himself and his behaviour."

The case was adjourned for an all options pre-sentence report. Wood was granted conditional bail and will return to the court on Monday, February 4.