A MAN has appeared in court accused of assaulting his girlfriend.

Gary Thomas Longstaff pushed his girlfriend and grabbed hold of her chin and neck before throwing her iPhone across the room, smashing its screen and damaging a window blind.

Magistrates in Peterlee heard that during the assault, which happened at his home on April 4, Longstaff then followed his girlfriend upstairs and tried to trap her in the bedroom before pushing her to the ground.

The 26-year-old, of The Flat, Meadowfield, County Durham, admitted charges of assault and criminal damage when he appeared at court today (Wednesday, April 15).

Kevin Campbell, mitigating, said Longstaff, who is a cocaine user, had become suspicious of his girlfriend after she had stayed in a hotel with a female friend following a night out.

“He loves her very much but he was paranoid because of the way she was behaving,” he said.

“He found out she was staying at this hotel and his mind went into overdrive.”

Mr Campbell said his client admitted he had a drug problem and had asked for help.

Magistrates adjourned the case to allow for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Longstaff will return to court on May 13 for sentencing.