A Polish national has been jailed for 27 months for beating a woman with a meat tenderiser.

The Court of General Gaol Delivery heard that Roman Pszczolkowski, 30, had a string of previous convictions for violence.

Jailing him for 27 months for actual bodily harm, Deemster Graeme Cook told him: ‘All in all you are a violent man and in recent times you have been violent towards women - something this court finds abhorrent, particularly when you use a weapon.

‘You used a meat mallet as a weapon on a woman who was vulnerable due to the state of intoxication she was in.’

The court heard that Pszczolkowski had been drinking with his then girlfriend at the complainant’s home in Mona Terrace, Douglas, on September 27 last year when an argument took place.

He hit his then partner and when the other woman tried to intervene, he picked up a meat tenderiser and hit her several times, on the knees, ribs and other parts of her body.

Friends were messaged and arrived at the address to find the complainant sitting on the couch crying. There was bruising on her legs and hands.

The defendant decided to leave, and pulled his girlfriend with him by the hair, prosecutor Hazel Carroon told the court.

In a victim impact statement, the complainant said the attack had made a big impact on her life, even including the simplest of tasks.

She said she will now only leave her home if she has to and was scared he would sneak in. She said she barely eats and has lost weight and her knees and ribs still hurt such that she found it difficult getting up and tying shoe laces.

‘I don’t think I will ever stop being scared of Pszczolkowski,’ she said.

The court heard that the defendant had been found guilty of witness intimidation when he had tried to get the complainant to withdraw her complaint of common assault, a separate assault allegation for which he was subsequently found not guilty.

Pszczolkowski, whose address was given in court as care of the prison, admitted the charge of ABH.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood said his client had an unenviable record and alcohol was clearly the root cause. He said it seemed a ‘switch was flicked’ at a particular stage of his drinking. ‘He lost his mind and doesn’t know what he’s doing,’ he said.

Mr Wood said that Pszczolkowski had apologised to the woman for the injuries he’d caused. He said he could become a ‘contributing member of society’ if he could ‘put his demons behind him’.

Deemster Cook said the defendant will serve half his 27 month sentence before being released on licence.

He also imposed a restraining order preventing Pszczolkowski from contacting the complainant directly or through third parties, in person, via phone or social media.