Last updated at 08:58, Friday, 03 July 2009

A Carlisle man has been jailed after brutally attacking his wife and breaching an order not to go near her.

Michael Christopher Little, 32, of no fixed abode, was given 20 months after pleading guilty to common assault and breaching a restraining order on four occasions.

Carlisle Crown Court heard yesterday that Little beat his estranged wife, Natalie Little, last November leaving her with extensive bruising, a black eye and a bleeding nose.

Prosecuting, Ian Ward said there was a “history of domestic violence” in the case.

In July last year, city magistrates made Little subject to a two-year restraining order barring him from contacting his wife or coming within 500 yards of her.

But just four months later, Little attacked his wife, who he had been in a relationship with since he was 14, after a meal.

Mr Ward said: “He punched her, knocked a glass out of her hand, pushed her into the living room, grabbed her hair and hit her to the face, she says, on three occasions.”

Alison Whalley, defending, said Little had spent his time on remand re-sitting GCSEs with a view to gaining employment on his release.

Little was handed a four-month sentence for common assault and 16 months for breaching a restraining order, to run consecutively.

First published at 05:15, Friday, 03 July 2009
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk