A DRUNK father-of-two could not remember punching his partner so hard she dropped to the floor, a court heard last week.

Dyfrig John Gledhill Harries, aged 46, of 9 Maesyfelin, Cardigan, pleaded guilty to assault by beating when he appeared before Ceredigion magistrates on Wednesday.

Jackie Lis, prosecuting, told the court that Harries’ partner Christine Allen was socialising with friends at a house in Cardigan on May 26, when he turned up in the early hours of the morning ‘unannounced, uninvited and very drunk’.

Miss Lis said: “He was told to leave, but came back on two occasions. He told her to come home, she didn’t want to and he punched her hard in the face.”

A witness said that Miss Allen was trying to calm the situation, but Harries then hit her hard on her cheek bone.

A statement read to the court said: “She went straight down, hitting her head on the kitchen floor, and he continued to shout at her.

“I could see there was blood everywhere.”

Another witnessed described Harries as throwing ‘a heck of a punch’.

The court heard that Miss Allen had not supported a prosecution, and told police she could not remember what had happened, but photographs showed swelling and a cut.

Katy Hanson defending said Harries did not have a complete recollection of what happened that night.

She said: “He accepts he was very drunk, but can’t remember hitting Miss Allen. He is extremely remorseful.

“He finds it very hard to accept that he would just punch her. He is very upset by this, and says this is not the way he would not normally behave.”

She added there had not been any other incidents of violence towards Miss Allen during the relationship.

The bench said the incident fell into the most serious category of common assault.

Sentencing was adjourned for two weeks for a probation reported to be completed, and Harries was released on unconditional bail.