A man left a woman “scared for her life” after he slashed her with a knife and repeatedly punched her in the head and face following an argument, a court has heard.

Theodore Lynch, 37, attacked the victim after they had been chatting and drinking with friends at Lynch’s Norwich property earlier this year.

Chris Youell, prosecuting, said Lynch and the victim were not in a relationship but he was “having a go at her” for “talking to other men”.

He said Lynch grabbed a knife with a 10-inch blade “from under his pillow” during the argument before he “punched her to the head and face with his fists”.

During the argument others tried to come between the pair but he “punched out at her with the knife which caused a 1.5cm cut to her cheek”.

The victim “felt scared for her life” during the row and at one point left the scene and was seen by a member of the public bleeding.

Mr Youell said the victim screamed so loudly that the neighbours could hear and called police.

Lynch, who had also picked up a screwdriver during the attack, was arrested by police following the incident on January 11 this year.

The victim described in a statement to the court how she suffered black eyes and bruising as well as being left with a scar following the attack.

She was having bad dreams and nightmares but these have since “got worse” and feels anxious.

Lynch, of Markham Tower, Bowers Avenue, Mile Cross, appeared for sentence at Norwich Crown Court on Tuesday when he admitted a single count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The case was the first sentencing hearing to take place at Norwich Crown Court since the prime minister imposed a lockdown in March in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Judge Anthony Bate, who conducted the hearing over Skype, jailed Lynch for 10 months for the “sustained assault” which he said “could’ve been much worse”.

Gavin Cowe, mitigating, said his guilty plea was Lynch’s most significant mitigation adding he had “no real recollection” of this incident and had been consuming both drugs and alcohol.

Court hearing covered by Skype

The sentencing of Theodore Lynch marked a milestone in that it was the first one carried out at Norwich Crown Court since the country went into lockdown following the coronavirus outbreak.

Addressing all parties ahead of Lynch’s sentencing, Judge Anthony Bate said following the prime minister’s address on March 23 action was taken to try and contain this coronavirus emergency.

Judge Bate said: “The following morning the doors of this court were closed to the public.

“I’m pleased to put on record that a week later (Tuesday, March 31) Norwich Crown Court has resumed open court proceedings with Peter Walsh, crime correspondent of the EDP, joining remotely via Skype.”

He said it had been achieved through the resilience and hard work of a number of people, including court staff, the Bar, CPS, probation service and officers at Norwich Prison who maintained the videolink.