A DRUNKEN father who battered the mother of his child when she refused to have sex with him has been handed a chance to turn his life around.

Lee Morgan, aged 24 and of Wessex Road, Salisbury, left his partner of three years Danielle Bodman with two broken bones in her wrist after the sustained assault in her own home in Bishopdown Farm on November 30, 2016.

It followed a booze-fuelled night out in Salisbury, in which Morgan downed five pints of beer, four whiskeys, four cans of fosters and 3-4 cans of cider.

After being thrown out of one pub, Morgan went back to Ms Bodman’s house and got into bed. She returned later that morning with friends. When she went upstairs to sleep, “an argument erupted” when Morgan “became amorous towards” his partner and she “did not wish to respond”.

Morgan began shouting and swearing and Ms Bodman went downstairs.

Prosecutor Edward Phillips said Morgan then “charged into the living room in a very aggressive manner” and struck her with the back of his right hand to the face with considerable force, knocking her to the ground.

He then repeatedly kicked and punched her as she lay on ground with a broken wrist.

Police were called and arrested Morgan, while Ms Bodman went to hospital.

The court heard that Ms Bodman had thrown Morgan’s computer games console across the room during the argument.

In a statement read to Winchester Crown Court on Thursday, April 13, she said the attack had been “devastating”, but said she had made a good recovery and wanted Morgan to get help with his anger issues.

“I hope we can both move forward and build on our relationship for the sake of our daughter,” she said.

Defending, Jane Rowley said Morgan was remorseful and had been sober ever since the incident. He had made full and frank admissions – despite not remembering much of what happened, she said.

“He acknowledges it was appalling violence towards the woman he loves.”

He also admitted there had been other violent incidents in the past and accepted he needed to “manage his temper”.

Judge Jane Miller QC said Morgan had “flipped” and “backhanded” Ms Bodman after she refused to have sex with him.

Sentencing him to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, for one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm, Judge Miller said: “I hope you realise this is your one and your only chance.”

Morgan, who has a two-year-old daughter with Ms Bodman, must complete a building better relationships course and carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.