A DRUNKEN dad attacked his partner in the early hours five weeks after she had given birth by Caesarean section, a court heard.

Mark Jason Sturgeon, 35, pushed the woman against their baby son's cot, sank his teeth into her nose and told her if he was not the child's father he would rip his head off.

The defendant, said to be struggling and under pressure because he was not used to having an infant in the house, had come home at 3am from an after-work drink, Burnley magistrates heard.

Sturgeon was sent on a domestic violence programme as part of a two-year community order with supervision.

The bench told him the victim was still recovering from surgery and was vulnerable.

Sturgeon, of Kibble Grove, Brierfield, admitted assault by beating, on July 31.

Andrew Creswell, prosecuting, said the defendant arrived home as the victim was feeding their baby in the child's room.

Sturgeon demanded to know what she was doing there and his partner told him to go and get something to eat and go to bed.

Sturgeon became more aggressive, shouted obscenities at his partner and refused to leave, the court heard.

He then pushed her against the cot causing her to fall to the floor.

Mr Creswell said the victim went downstairs into the kitchen and the defendant repeatedly kicked her and then lunged forward and bit the end of her nose.

When police arrived the victim, a mother of three, was found injured. Sturgeon was arrested and accepted he perhaps needed help with anger management.

He had no previous convictions.

Lee Hammond, defending, said there was a verbal altercation.

The victim had slapped Sturgeon, he said, hit him with her handbag and he had lost his temper. He may have caught her face unintentionally.

The child was Sturgeon's first, and it was a situation he was not used to Mr Hammond added.