An Ipswich man who repeatedly kicked his partner during a row has avoided prision after a court heard they were still in a relationship.

Ipswich Crown Court was told since the attack earlier this year Dean Anderson, who was wearing steel-toe capped boots when he repeatedly kicked his partner - had been taking medication and was planning a future with Mandy Smith.

Sentencing Anderson to a two year jail sentence suspended for two years, Judge Rupert Overbury described the attack on Ms Smith as “nasty” and said that if Anderson didn’t have her support he would have gone straight to prison.

“You’ve a great deal to thank her for,” he said.

“You have proved in the last six months that when you take your correct medication you are as Ms Smith says ‘the most mild mannered, caring, helpful person who would of anything to help anyone’,” said the judge. He warned Anderson if he did reoffend in the next two years he would be brought back to court and sent to prison. In addition to the suspended sentence, Anderson was ordered to complete a 30 day rehabilitation requirement and to attend a Building Better Relationships course.

During an earlier hearing the court heard that Anderson and Ms Smith had been arguing when he told her: “I’m going to lose it” before grabbing her round the throat.

Anderson had pushed Ms Smith against a wall and punched her on the forehead and when she went to the ground he had repeatedly kicked her on the shoulder, ribs and arms.

During the attack Ms Smith had lost count of the number of times she was kicked and at one stage asked him: “When are you going to stop?”

Anderson, who was wearing steel toe-capped boots during the attack, had then grabbed Ms Smith by her hair and banged her face on the stone floor causing it to bleed.

Ms Smith believed she may have lost consciousness at one point during the incident, which happened in February, and was taken to hospital where she was found to have multiple bruises.

When Ms Smith was spoken to by police she mentioned two earlier violent incidents when she had been assaulted by Anderson. One was in 2013 when he grabbed her by the throat causing her to black out and and then punched her after throwing her across the kitchen.

The other incident was at Christmas last year when Anderson grabbed Ms Smith and threw her into a porch area.

Anderson, 49, of Landseer Road, Ipswich admitted three offences of assault causing actual bodily harm to Ms Smith.

At the earlier hearing the court heard that although Ms Smith had told police about the two earlier incidents she had not wanted him to be prosecuted for them as she was hoping to continue her relationship with Anderson. Neil Saunders for Anderson said his client had been taking medication prescribed by a doctor and he and Ms Smith were planning a future together.