A secret visit to the new Star Wars movie awakened the force in a boyfriend who attacked his partner when she confronted him about it.

Robert Lawrence lost his temper after his partner found his ticket stub and left her with two black eyes when he headbutted her and threw her against a bedroom cupboard.

He had drunk two bottles of red wine and gone to bed before victim Louise Andrews found the cinema ticket for Star Wars VII, The Force Awakens and went up to ask him about it.

Lawrence, aged 47, of Penlean Close, Mount Ambrose, Redruth, admitted causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage in the attack on December 28 at Miss Andrews' home in Torbay.

He was jailed for nine months, suspended for 18 months and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid community work by Judge Geoffrey Mercer, QC, at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him:"This was a deeply unpleasant assault on a woman with whom you were living. You headbutted her and caused physical and emotional injury which has clearly had a significant effect on her life.

"You could not complain if I sent you straight to jail but what saves you is your good character, you immediate admission of what you did, and genuine shame.

"I accept what you did was entirely out of character. Nothing like this must ever happen again."

Miss Janice Eagles, prosecuting, said Lawrence had been in a relationship with the victim for two years and the only previous hint of violence happened during an argument while on holiday in Cancun, Mexico, earlier in December.

She said on the night of December 28, Lawrence had drunk two bottles of wine and gone to bed and Miss Andrews was clearing up downstairs before joining him.

Miss Eagles said:"While clearing up she found a receipt which showed he had been to the cinema when he had told her he had not.

"She went upstairs and challenged him. He denied going to the film and she accused him of being a liar. In her words, he lost the plot and seemed not to be himself. He started to assault her."

He headbutted her twice and she thought he had also punched her. He threw her against a wardrobe so hard the door broke. She was left with a suspected broken nose, two black eyes, and blood running down her face.

Her 19-year-old son, who was asleep in another bedroom intervened and they both fled and called the police. She later made a victim impact statement which revealed she has been scared to go out and has been put on medication for post traumatic stress disorder.

Miss Jo Martin, defending, said Lawrence has recently been made redundant after 25 years in the same job but is hoping to start work again as a driver in Cornwall very shortly.

She urged the Judge to take into account a stand-down probation report which said Lawrence has already started counselling to help him manage his emotions better.