A BURGER van owner grabbed his 22-week pregnant girlfriend around her neck and spat on her stomach after claiming the baby was not his.

The court in Bury St Edmunds heard how the victim subsequently lost the baby - though that was unrelated to the assault admitted by 29-year-old Gary Chatters, of Greyhound Road in Glemsford, near Sudbury.

Prosecutor Ian Devine told the court how Chatters had assaulted his then partner Lisa Williamson on October 6 in Great Waldingfield near Sudbury.

He said their relationship had ended at the beginning of the month “largely because of his drinking”.

Chatters, who has recently been bought a burger van from which to run a business, went along to Miss WIlliamson’s home to collect his belongings.

She thought he had been drinking so went to her parents’ home in Great Waldingfield, the court was told.

Chatters then started contacting her asking to meet up. Miss Williamson, who was 22 weeks pregnant at the time, said he could see her outside her parents’ home.

Mr Devine told how Chatters was driven there by a friend. Mr Devine said: “They then talked about their relationship. He started to become irritable saying he was not the father of her child.

“He spat on her stomach. He appears to have taken hold of her throat with one hand and raised the other hand.”

Mr Devine told how Chatters’ friend intervened in the incident and pulled Chatters away.

The court was told how Miss Williamson, who listened to procedings from the public gallery, had lost the baby, though not as a result of the incident.

The court was told how Miss Williamson wanted to maintain contact with Chatters.

District Judge David Cooper gave Chatters a two-year community order and told him to pay case costs of �85.