A WOMAN suffered “pain and terror” at the hands of her “armed, angry and drunk” partner after piercing her thigh on spike, a court heard.

Andrew Newman forced Charlotte Mitchell to flee a friend’s house and in her panic she became impaled on a fence spike, leaving her with a scar that looks like “a shark bite”.

The 46-year-old then kicked Miss Mitchell in the head to “try and get her off the spike”.

Newman was jailed for five-and-a-half-years at Southampton Crown Court, after admitting unlawful wounding, in possession of a weapon, affray and breaching a restraining order.

The court heard that Newman was assaulted and the following day visited his friend’s house in Buckland Close, Eastleigh.

Prosecutor Simon Edwards said Newman, who was armed with a hammer, had entered a property in Buckland Close, Eastleigh, via the backdoor. Miss Mitchell had stayed at the property the previous night.

Mr Edwards said that the defendant’s actions were witnessed by three children - including two who were under eight years old.

He added: “He followed her out and she was already on the fence, impaled on two spikes on the wall. He then kicked out at her with his foot.”

In a victim statement read by Mr Edwards, Miss Mitchell said she went “into shock because of the pain and terror” of the incident, which left her in hospital for a week nursing injuries.

She added: “When I came home I was very uncomfortable. I find it difficult to move about the house. I have a large ugly scar from my knee up to the top of my thigh...it looks like having been subjected to a shark bite.”

Mitigating, Peter Asteris told the court Newman’s actions were “utterly appalling” and that “alcohol fuelled him and made his temper change”. He said that his client kicked Miss Mitchell to “try and get her off the fence” but was unable to free her.

Mr Asteris added that his client has sought out help to deal with his alcohol issues and that Newman had suffered with depression for a number of years.

The court heard that in November 2016, Newman was given a 12-month suspended sentence after assaulting Miss Mitchell.

Newman has 17 previous convictions, dating back to 1988, the majority of which are concerned with assault.

In sentencing, Judge Christopher Parker said Newman was “dangerous, in particular to those people who in a relationship with when he had too much drink”.

He said: “She was petrified of what she thought you would do. You were armed, angry and drunk.”

Judge Parker QC added: “You were in drink and in a rage and all of this was done in someone’s home in the presence of children.”

As well as the prison sentence, Newman, of Crestwood View, Eastleigh, was also sentenced to a restraining order without time limits.