A MAN who assaulted his partner in front of her six-year-old daughter has been jailed.

A court heard how Adam Michael McGurk hit out at his then partner Harriet Glyn during an attack at her home in Barrow.

The 35-year-old defendant assaulted his partner and then hit out further at her friend who came to help.

The defendant, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of three counts of assault following a trial at South Cumbria Magistrates' Court.

The court heard he assaulted Miss Glyn and her friend Duncan Rose on September 19.

McGurk assaulted her again on November 16. 

Prosecutor Peter Kelly said the first assault took place in front of the victim's daughter after McGurk had been drinking.

"She was at home with her daughter," he said.

"She was upstairs and the defendant was in a different room drinking.

"At one point he staggered into the living room and she and her daughter laughed at him.

"He became aggressive and was shouting.

"She says at that point she asked him to do some domestic chores.

"He's then grabbed her by the throat and pushed her round the sink.

"Her daughter started to scream and was crying as well."

The court heard how the woman then called for her friend to help.

When he arrived she stood between the defendant and the victim.

He was then punched a number of times in the back of the head by McGurk and hit back at him in self-defence.

Mr Kelly said McGurk told the man he would 'knock your lights out'.

On the morning of November 16, Miss Glyn described being woken up by a noise and found the defendant outside her home.

He punched her 'multiple times' to the forehead and arm.

In mitigation, described the now-ended relationship as 'toxic', with both parties having their own problems.

He said McGurk wished his former partner well and was addressing issues with alcohol.

Magistrates sentenced McGurk to  18 weeks behind bars and imposed a two-year restraining order.

They said only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.