A WOMAN working at the Little Harwood Health Centre looked out of her office window to see a barefooted women being chased screaming down the street by a man.

Blackburn magistrates heard that as she watched Ajmal Mohammed Barlas grabbed the woman and punched her repeatedly in the face.

But the victim, who was four months pregnant at the time of the "vicious" assault, refused to give evidence against Barlas, her partner.

Barlas, 30, of Bay Street, Blackburn, was convicted after a trial of assault. He was sentenced to 180 days in prison suspended for two years and made subject to 18-months of community supervision.

Philip Potter, prosecuting, said that when Barlas saw the witness looking out of the window he was momentarily distracted and his partner managed to escape. He returned home and she also went there shortly after.

Deborah Morgan, defending, said her client still denied the offence and would be appealing against his conviction.