AN Ipswich woman, who was repeatedly slapped across her face and bottom by her partner for several hours, later received a text message from him saying, “I'm sorry”.

AN Ipswich woman, who was repeatedly slapped across her face and bottom by her partner for several hours, later received a text message from him saying, “I'm sorry”.

Today David Fraser, of Hogarth Road, is in jail after beating up Trudy Noble.

South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court were told Miss Noble said she had been on the receiving end of her boyfriend violent behaviour for two years.

The court heard the domestic violence had “driven her to drink” and on November 24 she had drunk a bottle of wine before Fraser had returned home from work.

Gareth Davies, prosecuting, said Miss Noble and 20-year-old Fraser had then had an argument.

“She said he kept on in a bullying manner, he was verbally abusive and then he slapped her across the face,” said Mr Davies.

“He slapped her very heavily and continued periodically throughout the evening for several hours. She was repeatedly slapped by him on her face and bottom while she was standing and while he held her face down on the sofa”.

Mr Davies said Fraser eventually left in a taxi. He added: “She received the text message at 1.30am the next morning which read, “I'm sorry”.

Miss Noble was treated in hospital for “extensive bruising” and cuts on her face and bottom. Fraser pleaded guilty to committing common assault.

Ian Duckworth, mitigating, said Miss Noble told police she wanted to make a formal complaint but did not want Fraser charged or sent to prison.

He said Fraser was originally charged with causing actual bodily harm but if that charge had gone to trial it was unlikely Miss Noble would give evidence and Fraser would be acquitted.

He said the Crown Prosecution Service had agreed to accept Fraser's guilty plea to common assault as an alternative.

Mr Duckworth said that Fraser had received a suspended sentence and a curfew to his mother's Hogarth Road address in October for driving while disqualified. He said Miss Noble asked him to move in with her and he had his curfew condition varied so he could live at his girlfriend's address.

However, on November 24 he had returned home from work and Miss Noble had refused to let him indoors for two hours. Mr Duckworth said Fraser, who has previous convictions for violence, became angry because he did not want to break his curfew conditions by being at the wrong address.

Magistrates said this case was aggravated by the prolonged attack, which happened when Fraser was subject to a suspended sentence. Fraser was sentenced to four weeks in prison and activated eight weeks of his original 12-week term.

N Have you been a victim of domestic violence? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk