AN angry boyfriend whipped his partner with a phone charger after they had a row over her texting his best mate.

Adam Lee of Court Road, Malvern, admitted assault by beating when he appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Thursday.

The 21-year-old attacked his partner, Brogan Bowen, by beating her during the incident on October 30.

The court heard the couple had been in a relationship for about three years when the argument occurred at around 2am.

Shafquat Reaz, prosecuting, said both parties, who have a child together, had been ‘calling each other names.’

He said: “The defendant has proceeded to take a phone charger and has whipped the legs of the complainant, causing visible marks and pain to her.

“He has prevented her from getting her phone and leaving the property. He struck her across the face using the back of his hand.”

This caused her pain and bruising to her cheek, he said. The victim managed to leave the property and go to her sister’s at 4.45am.

The defendant has a conviction for criminal damage from 2017.

Mark Sheward, defending, said Lee pleaded guilty when he appeared on Saturday, October 31 in custody but denied hitting her with his hand. According to Lee he threw the phone charger at her ‘in temper’ after she caused a cut to his foot.

The court heard his partner ‘started hitting and punching him’ and he accepted kicking out to get her away from him. He did not accept that he had struck her with the back of his hand.

As the difference in the two accounts would make no material difference to sentence no Newton hearing - where a decision on which version of events was accepted - was required.

Mr Sheward said: “It was a happy relationship up until two months ago.”

He told the court there had been trust issues between the two of them and that ‘it was after that things took a downward spiral.’

“She started to text someone. It transpired she was texting his best friend. He accepts he lost his temper,” said the Worcester solicitor. “Clearly her texting was calculated to cause him some distress.”

Mr Sheward also said Lee had gone upstairs ‘to get away from the situation’ and was lying on the bed when she came in the room and ‘started attacking him, flailing at him’.

He added: “He was trying to push her away with his feet. What he should have done is gone to the other side of the bed. He was kicking out with his feet. He accepts that. He accepts he caused the injury to her face. He was simply trying to fend her off.”

Magistrates imposed an 18 month community order to include 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Lee must complete a domestic abuse book.

The bench also placed him on a curfew between 7pm and 7am daily for three months. In addition they imposed a 12 month restraining order and any contact with the victim must be via the defendant’s mother for the purpose of arranging contact with his son.

Magistrates ordered costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £95.