An Ipswich man who dragged his former partner out of their car and kicked her so hard that the impression of his foot was left on her arm has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Justin Gardiner and his partner, who’d been in a relationship for nine years, had been shopping in Felixstowe and an argument started when they got back to their car, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Gardiner had shouted at her to get out of the car and when she refused he had grabbed her hair and bit her on the arm, said Juliet Donovan, prosecuting.

Gardiner had then dragged her out of the car and while she was on the ground he had kicked her so hard that the impression of his footprint was left on her badly bruised arm.

Miss Donovan said the incident had taken place in the presence of children who had been screaming.

After the attack, Gardiner had got back in the car and had driven off without her.

She said that as a result of the incident the victim had been left with bruising and grazes.

Gardiner, 41, of Woolverstone Close, Ipswich, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm on July 31 last year.

He was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months and ordered to do 50 hours unpaid work.

He was also ordered to take part in a Building Better Relationships programme and was given 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also banned from contacting the victim for five years.

Sentencing him Recorder Graham Huston described what he did as “absolutely disgusting” and said he should be ashamed of himself.

“This was a deliberate, prolonged and particularly degrading attack,” said the judge.

He said Gardiner could have caused serious injury to his former partner and the fact that the attack happened in the presence of children was an aggravating feature of the case.

The judge said Gardiner had been given a caution for a previous assault on the victim in 2019.

Hannah Gladwell for Gardiner said he was genuinely remorseful and wanted to assure the court he would never behave in the same way again.

He now had a new partner and had no wish to have any contact with his former partner.