WHEN Simon Lawrence wrongly believed his girlfriend of five years had slept with another man he launched a savage and uncontrolled attack on her in their Stratford home.

Yet despite injuries, including a collapsed lung, Katrina Elsey later said she did not want the matter to go to court and tried to withdraw her complaint.

However, at Coventry Crown Court, prosecutor Paul Hicken said: "The Crown took the view that the case should proceed but on the basis simply of those matters the defendant admits, coupled with the medical and photographic evidence."

Lawrence, aged 27, of Baker Avenue, Stratford, at the time, but who has since moved to Northampton, was jailed for six months after he had pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding.

Mr Hicken said Lawrence and Miss Elsey, aged 23, had lived together for a number of years.

He went to use her mobile phone one morning in April and heard a message from one of her friends which led him to believe she had been "associating" with another man. Lawrence confronted her, shouting at her and calling her various names, despite her denials.

"He pushed her down on the bed and punched her in the face with such force that it caused him an injury to his hand," said Mr Hicken.

He dragged her down the stairs and forced her out into the street wearing just her pyjamas as he continued to attack her but then stopped and left.

The terrified Miss Elsey phoned her father who drove from Yorkshire to take her back with him but on the way she collapsed.

She was taken to Harrogate hospital where it was discovered that she had a collapsed lung as well as other injuries including a black eye and severe bruising to her face, arms and chest, added Mr Hicken.

Andrew Lockhart, defending, said Lawrence had shown "considerable remorse" and had pleaded guilty knowing Miss Kelsey, with whom he had had a generally happy relationship for five years, was unlikely to pursue her original complaint against him.

Miss Elsey had gone out with a friend the night before and had then gone to the home of a man called Clive, where she said they simply talked before she then went home.

But there were "severely crossed wires" and when Lawrence heard the message left on Miss Elsey's phone he formed the view that she had slept with him. "He flew into a white rage and challenged her. She denied it and he lost control.

"He will regret this moment of madness for the rest of his life," said Mr Lockhart. Jailing Lawrence, Recorder Peter Ross, told him he deserved considerable credit for his guilty plea and he accepted he had shown a great deal of remorse.

"But this was a savage and uncontrolled attack, on anybody's assessment, and I have come to the conclusion that the only way I can deal with you is by a sentence of custody," he said.