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A man beat up his fiancé and left her with a fractured eye socket after accusing her of dancing with other men, a court has heard. Alexander Patton then lied to police and claimed his partner had suffered her injuries by falling down a step. A judge told Alexander Patton that he had he left his victim "bleeding, battered, and bruised" before giving a deceitful account of what happened to the police. He said the case was too serious to be dealt with by anything other than immediate custody. Helen Randall, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that the assault happened in August this year in the victim's flat in Swansea after a group of neighbours had gathered for drinks. She said Patton became "increasingly loud and aggressive" as the evening wore on, and in response the defendant's fiancé locked herself in the bathroom of the property. The court heard Patton followed the woman while accusing her of dancing with other men and calling her a "slag", and he then managed to unlock the door from the outside and force his way inside. In the bathroom the defendant pushed the woman to the face before grabbing her by the throat and pushing her into the shower cubicle. The 32-year-old then took her to the floor and repeatedly banged her head against the shower. When police arrived they found the bleeding victim still in the bathroom. Patton was arrested and told police he hadn't done anything, claiming his fiancé had injured herself by falling down a step. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter The prosecutor said the complainant was taken to hospital were doctors noted cuts to her face and a fractured eye socket. In an impact statement which was read to the court, the woman said he had been left with a scar behind her ear, and said the whole experience had been "emotionally draining". She said she could not believe she had been "betrayed" by someone she had loved. Alexander Patton, of Llantwit Road, Neath , had previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Caitlin Brazel, for Patton, said the defendant had experienced a "unsettled and traumatic childhood" with limited education and little by the way of emotional development. She said the defendant hoped to find work with his brother as a trainee mechanic, and said in her submissions the Probation Service would be able to assist Patton in providing him with tools he needs to help reduce the risk of reoffending. Judge Eugene Egan told Patton he had beaten his victim and left her "bleeding, battered and bruised" before going on to give a deceitful account of what happened to the police. He noted that the defendant was a father-of-four though he had not seen them "for over a year". The judge said the case was too serious to be dealt with by anything other than immediate custody. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty plea Patton was sentenced to 24 months in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
