He attacked his girlfriend while wrapping their son's birthday presents.

A man who admitted he “lost his head” and assaulted his long-term girlfriend while they were wrapping their son’s birthday presents has been spared jail.

A court heard Michael Holt kicked the front door of her flat so hard that it hit her in the face causing an injury to her forehead. He then grabbed hold of her clothing and pushed her back down the hallway.

At one point during the late night row their young son was in his mother’s arms screaming “no Daddy, no Daddy”.

Holt, 40, pleaded guilty to assaulting his now ex-partner causing her actual bodily harm.

Recorder Emma Fisher decided not to impose an immediate prison sentence after hearing that although he had 21 previous offences on his record, some involving violence, the majority had been committed many years ago. Instead she gave him a 12-week jail term suspended for 15 months.

Barrister Charlotte Phillips, prosecuting, said the couple had been seeing each other since 2020 and had two children together. But police had regularly received reports of screaming and shouting coming from the woman’s address.

The assault happened on December 5 last year while the couple were wrapping presents at the woman’s home. Both had been drinking, first at the pub and later at the flat.

Because it was late Holt asked if he could get into bed with her, but she refused. He then asked if he could climb in with one of their two children and again was told ‘No’. He responded by saying: “I’m f***ing going home then.”

They carried on wrapping gifts and because the woman didn’t have a screwdriver for one of the toys Holt got hold of a small kitchen knife. She continued to ask him to leave, but he kept picking up the knife and dropping it into her lap while saying nothing. She asked if he wanted her to stab herself with it and motioned towards her stomach saying: “Is this what you want?”

Again she asked him to leave, but Holt went into the bedroom of one of the children, kissed him on the cheek and said: “I am kissing my kids, I may never see them again.” As he left the flat she went to shut the door behind him and he kicked at it, causing it to swing back and strike her in the face.

The court was told he came back inside the property, grabbed hold of her clothing and pushed her down the hallway while she lashed out trying to fight him off. Eventually Holt agreed to leave, but then went round to the back door of the property to try and get back in.

She was holding one of the children in her arms as she shouted for him to leave. But he kicked open that door and gained entry again. So she fled to a neighbour’s flat with the children and called the police.

The woman refused to give a victim impact statement to be read in court and also declined to apply for a restraining order to prevent Holt contacting her. But she did tell police her children hadn’t deserved to witness their father’s behaviour towards their mother. She added she didn’t want to see him again.

When arrested Holt, of Queens Street, Great Harwood, denied causing his ex any injury or kicking the front door. He didn’t recall being asked to leave and said he hadn’t damaged the front door saying it had been like that when he arrived at the flat.

His defence barrister Ellie McManus said: “He accepts he lost his head. He accepts he had too much alcohol that day.” She said he had been “under financial stress” at the time and had been in a low mood following the death of his mother. Most of his previous convictions had come when he was a youth.

Ms McManus asked Recorder Fisher to step back from an immediate prison sentence saying it would have a big impact on his family.

The judge said the prosecution had described the assault as “impulsive and spontaneous”. She added: “There is no doubt that it passes the custody threshold.” But she said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in the community for Holt and would therefore suspend the sentence.

In addition Holt was ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation activity days, 20 days of alcohol abstinence, 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £600 court costs.