A THUG with a history of violence against women slammed his former girlfriend’s head into a cat litter tray.

Kyle Walsh, of Crostons Road, Bury, also bashed her head against a wall, which left her unconscious for a brief period and with a broken tooth.

The 22-year-old was convicted by a jury following a trial of two counts of assault by beating which were committed in Orford.

He appeared to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, where he was told that had he not spent a lengthy period of time in prison on remand, he would have been jailed.

Robert Wyn Jones, prosecuting, briefly outlined the case and that the defendant has a "history of battery against females".

More detail was provided in the summery by Judge David Potter, who explained how Walsh entered a relationship with his now former girlfriend in January last year.

However, by February it had changed "very significantly", and he committed two assaults on her on February 7 and 14.

The first saw him become angry in an argument over takeaway food, causing him to put her head in cat litter and strike it on a nearby wall, leaving her briefly unconscious.

The victim also lost part of her tooth, while Walsh ‘bragged about what happened on social media’.

On February 14 following an argument, the defendant punched her in the face after she received a text message which he disagreed with.

Walsh was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence in February this year for threatening to cause criminal damage to the vehicle belonging to the mother of another previous partner.

He was also given 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days targeted at controlling his behaviour and domestic violence, for which he has previous convictions.

In his defence, Patrick Harris spoke of how the defendant had been remanded in custody from mid-February last year and had already served around 12 months in prison.

He added that the probation service says it can work with the defendant, who is fully engaging with them.

Before sentencing, Judge Potter said: “You have relevant and recent convictions for violence towards people you were previously in intimate relationships with.

“At the start of these proceedings, you were remanded in custody for a significant period of time.

“There is no purpose at all in making a sentence of imprisonment as you have already served that period of time.

Walsh was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for 18 months, with a condition being that he engages in the building better relationships programme.

He was also made the subject of a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his victim for seven years.

Describing this as an "exceptional case", Judge Potter explained that it was only because Walsh has served a lengthy period of time in custody that he was not jailed, adding: “You have not walked free from court.”