A 21-year-old man has been warned he could be jailed when he is sentenced next month for punching his girlfriend in the mouth.Daniel Baker, of Ranelagh Road, Ipswich, was found guilty by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court of assaulting Melissa Thorne, the mother of his 14-month-old baby, causing her actualbodily harm.

By Matt Eley

A 21-year-old man has been warned he could be jailed when he is sentenced next month for punching his girlfriend in the mouth.

Daniel Baker, of Ranelagh Road, Ipswich, was found guilty by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court of assaulting Melissa Thorne, the mother of his 14-month-old baby, causing her actual

bodily harm.

He was also found guilty of

damaging a door of a flat where Miss Thorne stayed after returning from

hospital on the night of the attack.

After the jury's verdicts prosecution counsel Louis Moll told the court that on December 5 last year – just 18 days before he punched Miss Thorne in the mouth – Baker had been given a 12 months conditional discharge for an offence of common assault on the same woman. Baker admitted being in breach of that conditional discharge.

Adjourning sentence on Baker for a pre-sentence report, Recorder Mr Patrick Moloney said the court was

likely to give serious consideration to passing a prison sentence when he is sentenced in January.

During the trial the court heard that Baker had punched Miss Thorne in the mouth through an open window during an argument shortly before Christmas last year.

Miss Thorne went to hospital with a loose tooth. She then went to stay with a friend.

Baker had gone to the friend's flat and had kicked the door, damaging the lock.

Baker denied punching Miss Thorne and claimed he had accidentally caused the injury when he closed a window which she had opened as he ran past.

He denied going to Miss Thorne's friend's flat and damaging the door.