A WOMAN was assaulted by her partner of 10 years after love turned sour for the former teenage sweethearts.

Blackburn magistrates heard how Vikki Richmond, from Darwen, tried to walk out on a row but was dragged back by her hair.

As the couple's eight-year-old daughter watched, her mum was thrown over a table and fell, banging her head on the fire, showering hot coffee over her legs.

The court heard that Miss Richmond and her daughter were both terrified and screaming during the incident at the family home in Kirby Road.

Mark Curry, 29, now of Longshaw Street, Blackburn, admitted assault. He received a conditional discharge for 12 months and was ordered to pay £100 compensation and £55 costs.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, said the relationship between Curry and Miss Richmond had been going through a bad patch and they had separated.

On the day of the incident, he had collected their daughter from the child minder and taken her home. A row had started and Miss Richmond, fearing violence, had made to leave the house.

Mr Snape said: "She had just reached the porch when he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back into the living room."

Michael Blacklidge, defending, said the couple had met when they were aged 14 and 15 respectively. Throughout their relationship they had both worked hard but eventually their work patterns seemed to have come between them.

Mr Blacklidge said: "He has been working night shifts and she has been working days and they had started to drift apart. My client received some second-hand information about his partner's conduct and that was the start of the end of their relationship."

He said Curry did not accept all the details of the incident as put forward by the prosecution.

He added, however: "He does accept that there was a short, unpleasant episode which has brought their relationship to a close."