A MAN who left after a 'happy' child access visit to his ex-partner's home returned in the early hours of the morning and assaulted her.

Blackburn magistrates heard the victim, who was 20 weeks pregnant, was asleep in bed when she was woken by someone grabbing her.

She recognised Brian Derek Blair's voice as he said she had got him battered and then punched her repeatedly to the face and head.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the victim managed to push him out of the bedroom and shut the door only for his fist to come through the panelling.

"She opened the door when she heard her 11-year-old son telling him to stop and he pushed her back into the bedroom," said Miss Allan.

"She bit his hand to get him off her and shouted at her son to run out of the house, bang on doors and get the police.

"She stopped him from following her son.

"When the police arrived the boy was sitting on the floor with his knees tucked under his chin and he said he was really scared," said Miss Allan.

"The victim was asleep when the incident started and it must have been terrifying for her."

Blair, 28, of Richmond Grove, Longsight, Manchester, pleaded guilty to assault and criminal damage at a house in Nelson on December 1.

He was jailed for 12 weeks and ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge on his release.

Gareth Price, defending, said his client accepted a prison sentence was appropriate for the offences he had committed.

Imposing an immediate prison sentence the chairman of the magistrates said they had taken into account that Blair had a previous conviction for assault on the same victim.