A man punched his partner in the face while she watched TV in bed just months after he knocked out her tooth in a separate attack, a court has heard.

Romas Staniulus, 49, knocked out one of his partner’s incisors when he punched her in the face in an attack between April 4 and April 30 last year.

Norwich Crown Court heard the victim did not contact police on that occasion or on a separate occasion, on July 13 last year, when she was punched by Staniulus.

Adam Norris, prosecuting, said during the attack in July, the defendant “punched her in the face while she was in bed”.

Mr Norris said the defendant was “drunk” and had become jealous before turning up at her home in Carbrooke, near Saham Toney.

He climbed over the fence and once inside her home went up to her room and “punched her in the face and started lashing out at the fixtures and fittings” in the room, including a light.

The court heard the police were not contacted on this occasion either.

But police were called on another occasion in July last year when the defendant turned up and was “putting her in fear”.

Staniulus, of Fortress Road, Carbrooke, appeared at court for sentence on Wednesday (January 13) having previously admitted causing actual bodily harm, assault by beating and criminal damage.

Jailing him for a total of 18 months, Judge Stephen Holt said when he got drunk the defendant “became more violent and more jealous”.

Judge Holt said the victim in this case decided not to co-operate with the prosecution so there was no victim statement.

He said: “Whatever the reason victims of domestic abuse still stand by, invariably, the men who abuse them.”

But Judge Holt said the offending had clearly crossed the custody threshold and only immediate imprisonment was appropriate in this case.

Michael Clare, mitigating, said the defendant should be given credit for his guilty pleas which were entered despite the victim not co-operating with police.

He said the couple seemed intent on continuing the relationship.