An angry bully headbutted his ex-partner and left her covered in blood after asking whether she had slept with other people, a court heard.

Tristan Stark, aged 25, assaulted the young mum in the street while she had their child in her arms.

He first punched her and then headbutted her, sending blood running down her face and on to her jacket, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

Handing him a suspended prison sentence, a judge said it was a “very nasty assault”.

He added: “This is the kind of assault in a domestic context which normally carries an immediate prison sentence. It makes it far worse that it is done in front of a child.”

The court heard that Stark had already spent two periods in custody, adding up to almost two months.


Stark, formerly of Antony Gardens, Pennycross, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm on March 23.

Hollie Gilbery, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that the couple had been in a three-year relationship and had a child together.

She added that they had split up earlier this year.

Miss Gilbery said that a friend drover her to Pennycross to pick up the child from an overnight stay with his father.

The barrister said Stark was “crying and shaking” and asked her whether she had been “sleeping with other people”.

Miss Gilbery said: “She assured him this was not the case and that he had nothing to tell him.”

She added that the defendant turned and punched the woman to the right hand side of the face.

Miss Gilbery said that she walked back to the car.

She added: “He headbutted her to her head and she could immediately feel something wet on her face. Blood started to pour from her head and covered her jacket.”

Reading a statement which the woman had given police, Miss Gilbery said: “She was scared that this would not be the last time she would be assaulted by him”.

The barrister said that Stark had no previous convictions, but he did have two police cautions for assault causing actual bodily harm in 2016.

Ali Rafati, for Stark, now living in Basingstoke in Hampshire, said that he had spent two periods in custody, for a month and then for 20 days.

Judge Townsend handed the defendant a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with the Building Better Relationships course. He must also do probation’s supervision programme, the Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.