A MAN slashed his partner across the palm of the hand during a drunken row at their home, a court was told.

Christopher Watson put a knife to her cheek, before placing her hand face up and slashing her across the base of four fingers.

Durham Crown Court heard he then pointed the tip to the knife to the left side of her jaw, causing two small puncture wounds.

Christine Egerton, prosecuting, said Watson then tried to wash the knife and clean the drops of blood that splattered onto the floor, to remove evidence.

His partner received hospital treatment for her injuries, which were dressed.

Watson was charged with making threats to kill, assault causing actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice, over the incident on January 6, 2019.

The court heard the couple separated and now live apart, but, at one stage Watson’s partner tried to retract her earlier complaint.

Watson, 37, of Daphne Crescent, Seaham, admitted the assault and the Crown agreed to leave the other two counts, “on the file”.

Jennifer Coxon, mitigating, conceded it was, “an horrendous incident”, but said the defendant now realises the pain he caused leading to the breakdown of the five-year relationship, during which there were no previous problems.

She added that he has remained offence free for many years and feared what will happen to his roofing job with a housing provider if sentenced to custody.

Imposing a 15-month prison sentence, Judge James Adkin said the use of a weapon to injure someone during a domestic incident had to be marked with custody.