A thug who battered his partner in a drink-fueled rage after verbally abusing her has been jailed for his violent attack.

James McQuade lashed out at his partner after spending the night drinking in her home before punching and kicking his victim up to 20 times leaving her bleeding heavily from her nose.

The 28-year-old tried to clean up the blood in the Middlesbrough house before smashing a window as he fled the scene, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was heavily intoxicated and began to slur his speech as he staggered around the house.

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“He became aggressive and accused her of being a sl** and accused her of sleeping with other men before lashing out and hitting her.

“She went to the bathroom to escape but he barged in and she was then punched or kicked between ten and 20 times.”

Miss Masters said the defendant then tried to clean the blood up before heading to his sister’s home where is was banned from attending due to unrelated bail conditions. His sister called the police and he was arrested.

McQuade, now of Sunderland Road, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage following his violent outburst on April 18 this year.

Andrew Turton, mitigating, said the father-of-one had never been convicted of domestic violence before this incident but did concede he had committed criminal damage in the domestic setting before.

He added: “This was a toxic relationship with both of them engaging in violence and it was a relationship involving alcohol and drugs.

“He regrets this incident and has shown remorse for his actions.”

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Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, told the defendant that the seriousness and persistence of the assault warranted a custodial sentence.

Locking him up for eight months, the judge said: “You lashed out and she ran to the bathroom before she was kicked and punched 20 times.

“This offence is too serious and too persistent for this sentence to be suspended.”

McQuade was also made the subject of a two-year restraining order to protect his victim.