A MAN assaulted his girlfriend to the back of her head whilst she was asleep in bed and spat in her face during an argument, a court heard.

Aaron Bell, 29, of Roose Road, Barrow, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to two counts of assault by beating after appearing at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court from custody on November 6.

Prosecuting the case, Peter Kelly said the offences came to the attention of police after the complainant provided a statement following Bell being arrested on suspicion of other matters on Tuesday (November 5).

Mr Kelly said: “Officers located the defendant and a female on Roose Road, Barrow on November 5 at around 7:40 am. They believed he had breached a domestic violence (DV) protection order.”

The court heard the victim told officers: ‘He (Bell) has hit me on the back of the head when I was asleep in bed on November 1’.

The complainant also disclosed to police that the defendant had spat in her face and threw a lampshade at her following an argument on November 4, Mr Kelly said.

He added the complainant was ‘thankful’ that the police had arrived as she ‘wanted to get away from him’ despite still being in love with him.

Mr Kelly said the victim told officers: ‘I do not want to say anything bad about him as he will start shouting at spitting at me again’.

The court was told there had been no formal proceedings opened into the breach of the DV protection order.

In mitigation, Trystan Roberts said: “It is always difficult in these circumstances where both parties clearly care for one another.

“It is one of those very sad situations where some people find it difficult to keep their relationship going. It is clear he needs some assistance with relationships.

“My client admits he pushed her to the back of the head but insists he did not punch her. It is not a blow.

“He also says that the spittle landed on her during an argument and that there was no deliberate spitting. She has not suffered any injuries as a result to the assault to the back of the head.

Magistrates ordered for the commission of an all-options pre-sentence report before passing sentence.

Bell was granted conditional bail to appear back in court on November 27 with provisions not to contact the complainant in the case directly or indirectly by any means.