AN ACCRINGTON man's drunken Christmas Day advances to his ex-partner ended in violence.

Hyndburn magistrates heard that Steven Dunn had been on a 24-hour "bender" during which he drank 15 litres of cider, when he went into Carol Lord's bedroom at 11am and asked if he could climb in with her.

Dunn became abusive when she told him no and she went downstairs intending to go to her mother's.

The court heard that Dunn, of Eddlestone Street, came at her as she was putting on her shoes and as she raised her arms to protect her face he punched her in the ribs. He then grabbed her by the hair and punched her head and face.

"As soon as he stopped assaulting her she ran to a neighbour's house and rang the police," said Philippa White, prosecuting.

"Dunn told officers he had been extremely drunk and remembered little of the incident.

"He said he had started drinking at about noon on Christmas Eve and drunk more or less straight through with little sleep."

She said that prior to the incident the couple had been living separately in the same house.

Gareth Price, defending, said because of the tensions between the couple Dunn had been sleeping downstairs.