A MAN assaulted his partner after a drinking session to celebrate passing his driving test, a court heard.

Jobless Matthew Baron, 21, pinned widow Karen Fitton down on the couch and then twice kicked the door after he was taken outside.

Baron, of Regent Street, Bacup, admitted assault by beating on December 12 and was bailed until January 23, for a pre-sentence report. The bench told him they were thinking of a medium community penalty.

Barbara Booth, defending, said Baron admitted to being quite drunk and would say they were play fighting. Miss Fitton bit his neck and he became angry.

His memory was somewhat hazy and it went blank, but he was thoroughly ashamed of what happened, the solicitor said.