Pet cats were thrown across the room when a couple argued in their bedroom early one morning Truro magistrates were told.

Callum Ruff had climbed in through the bedroom window to see his girl friend Megan Gendall and was upset because he thought she was not looking after the cats properly. He threw two of them towards her and when she went to throw one back at him he slapped her in the face.

Ruff, 21, of Dolcoath Road, Camborne, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Gendall and also to damaging her property to the value of £120.

Gail Hawkley, for the CPS, said the couple had been drinking during the day and he was verbally abusive to her. She ended their relationship and went to bed.

At 3 am she was awakened by defendant who climbed through her bedroom window, became aggressive and pulled her hair before slapping her face. He had picked up her cats and thrown them at her.

She ran off and when she returned found an internal door and dado rail had been damaged.

Interviewed, Ruff said they had a volatile relationship and Gendall always was telling him it was over. When she told him so this time she taunted him by saying she would sleep with other men.

She did not do her share of looking after the cats and he had picked them up and thrown them towards her, not in a violent action and not hurting them. She went to throw one of them back at him and he slapped her in the face, later losing his temper when she was out and and damaging both his and her property in the flat. He had previous convictions.

Graham Calderwood, his solicitor, said there had been some involvement for him with the probation service and mental health team.

The case was adjourned for a probation report.