A WOMAN’S ‘stormy’ six-month relationship with a 34-year-old man ended violently after he attacked her in a Carlisle hotel room – and then pleaded with her to drop the prosecution.

A court heard how Gavin Arthur Morgan was already strongly under the influence of alcohol when he met the woman at the city’s railway station on the afternoon of March 7.

As they travelled by taxi to the Milton Hilltop Hotel on London Road, he grabbed her leg, squeezing so tightly the woman was left bruised.

Their get-together went from bad to worse when they got to the hotel as they argued, and the threatened to kill her.

At Carlisle Crown Court, Morgan admitted three offences: a common assault, criminal damage, and perverting the course of justice.

Charles Brown, prosecuting, told the judge: “It had been, as you will have concluded from previous allegations, a somewhat stormy relationship.

“It’s fair to say that alcohol played a significant part in both their lives at that time.”

Mr Brown said after squeezing the woman’s leg in the taxi journey, he excused the force he had used by saying he did not know his own strength.

The following morning, their relationship was acrimonious, said Mr Brown. They moved to a bed and breakfast on the same road and the defendant drank all day.

“He was intoxicated,” said the prosecutor.

While eating pizza in the room they again argued and it was then that that Morgan threatened the to kill the woman and lunged at her, grabbing her coat, dragging her. When she sought refuge in the toilet he followed her, again grabbing her clothing and ripping her Primark jacket.

“She was frightened,” said Mr Brown.

On April 21, after he was arrested, he sent the woman a text, instructing her to retract her complaint. This was the perverting the course of justice ofence.

Kim Whittlestone, for Morgan, of Grainger Street, Darlington, said: “The majority of his behaviour is the result of his addiction to alcohol.”

The barrister pointed out that the text message Morgan sent the woman contained no threats.

He now accepted that what he had done was foolish.

Miss Whittlestone said the defendant’s pressure at work in his role as a chef at Manchester Airport had fuelled his alcohol use, adding: “He is determined to address his alcohol addiction.”

Judge Michael Hayton QC imposed an eight month jail term and a restraining order, telling Morgan: “This is poor behaviour: don’t repeat it.”

If he does reoffend in a similar way, he will in future be dealt with as a person who has displayed a pattern of domestic violence against females while in drink, added the judge.