A BURLY dad who launched a violent alcohol-fuelled attack on his partner, leaving her with a perforated eardrum, has walked free from court.

Swindon Crown Court heard Craig Moore, who has a history of violence, punched his victim up to 20 times and continued to rain blows on her as she held a young child.

But after hearing how the 33-year-old’s victim wrote a letter saying the vicious attack was out of character a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Simon Burns, prosecuting, said Moore and Rebecca Dean had been together for seven and a half years and had children aged four and two.

He said their relationship was usually fine but Moore became particularly aggressive when he was drunk.

The couple had split up for a while and in July Moore stayed the night before they went to the Caribbean carnival on July 11.

Moore started drinking heavily from lunchtime onwards getting through lager, wine and 15 vodka doubles.

“He was clearly under the influence very heavily,” Mr Burns told the court.

When they got home the couple started to argue before Moore struck his victim around the ear, according to Mr Burns. He said: “He then punched her to the head about 20 times. She was extremely scared.”

When she was seen by her GP, as well as the perforated ear she was found to have blood in her left eye and bruising round the socket.

Moore was arrested on the Sunday and told officers that he remembered banging about in the kitchen, knocking a cupboard door off after they started to argue before punching her with maximum force.

He told the police that he had large hands and she had a small face and that he was punching her to hurt her.

Moore, of Beaumont Road, Walcot, pleaded guilty to one count of actual bodily harm.

The court heard Moore had three convictions for common assault and one for being drunk and disorderly.

Judge Douglas Field decided not to impose unpaid work saying his time was better spent with his family.

He imposed a 9pm to 6am curfew for three months.

Judge Field said: “This was a violent attack and it was against your partner who is much smaller than you and in the presence of children.

“But I accept that this was a one-off brought on by your drinking. I accept you showed great remorse.”

He imposed a nine-month jail term suspended for a year along with the curfew.