A MAN has pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner after he grabbed her by the throat as she slept.

Harrogate Magistrates Court heard yesterday that Christopher Beane, 20, had walked out on his partner after a row, but returned later and assaulted her.

Nicholas Ralph, prosecuting, told magistrates how Beane and his partner of three years, Georgina Ewart, had rowed over her dancing with another man in a nightclub in the town.

Beane had stormed off home and when Miss Ewart returned, the row continued.

He had slapped her face and, because of the shouting, police were called.

Once police had left, Beane returned to the home he shared with Miss Ewart.

He climbed through an upstairs window and walked into the front room, where she was asleep on a settee. He grabbed her by the throat before leaving.

He was picked up by police as he drove along Leeds Road, in defiance of a ban.

Mr Ralph said Miss Ewart had told police she had been angered by what happened, particularly since Beane attacked her when her daughter had been in the house.

Beane, of Regent Mount, Harrogate, was ordered to do 80 hours of community work and was given an 18-month community rehabilitation order after pleading guilty to assault, driving while disqualified and without insurance or test certificate and failing to answer bail.

Costs of £140 were also ordered and he was fined £50 for possession of cannabis.

Clive Farndon, mitigating, said Beane felt remorse, regret and shame at what had happened