Steven James Gilman, 51, admitted an offence under the Domestic Abuse and Related Provisions Law when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court.
The court was told how the couple had separated about a year before, and been divorced for seven months, but were still sharing a home at the time of the incident.
At approximately 1am in November, Gilman returned home intoxicated and was verbally abusive to the woman before he spat in her face.
She tried to calm him down by making him a coffee which initially worked. But he then pushed her on to a sofa and struck her repeatedly, before dragging her out of the house in her pyjamas. She called the police at 9am and the defendant was arrested about an hour later. The woman had cuts to the top of her head and nose, and general bruising.
Gilman gave no comment responses to questions in interview.
Defending, Advocate Sara Mallett said her client had entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity.
This had been the end of a long relationship which had not been characterised by domestic abuse. He was horrified by his own behaviour.
He could only put it down to his over-consumption of alcohol and the impact that the breakdown of the relationship would have had on him. He did not oppose the application for a restraining order.
A reference from his employer had been submitted to the court.
Judge Gary Perry said that such assaults outside of a direct relationship would almost certainly attract a sentence of immediate custody, and the fact that this was during one made it even worse. He jailed the defendant for five months, concurrent, on each offence, and the restraining order was made.