A woman from Falmouth feared she was going to die at the hands of her partner after he attacked her in a drunken rage.

This is what magistrates in Truro were told when Andrew James Gallie, of Regan Court, Kernick Road, Penryn faced them on Monday.

Appearing from custody, the 39-year-old admitted assaulting his now ex-partner by actual bodily harm in Falmouth last Friday, November 17.

The court heard the couple had already taken part in nine sessions of counselling together, mainly due to Gallie's drinking.

He agreed to stop, but last Friday he and his partner went to a murder mystery evening in Budock Water and Gallie drank two bottles of wine, plus some Jagerbombs.

Gallie, who was in the forces for 13 years before leaving in 2011, became angry with the taxi driver on the way home, threatening to rip the driver's throat when his partner defended the man.

As children slept upstairs, Gallie was said to be "shouting and raging" at his partner.

Reading from the woman's victim statement, prosecutor Anita Kennett said: "He was livid. He grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me to the floor. I smashed into the kitchen cupboards.

"I was terrified. At this point I thought this was it. It was not going to end. I truly thought he was going to kill me.

"He began kicking and punching me with some force. I curled into a ball and waited for it to stop. It didn't."

Gallie "stormed" from the kitchen but, fearing if she moved he would return and start assaulting her again, his partner sat there.

"I had severe pain in my head from the rain of blows. He was still shouting at me not to move.

"I think I might have moved and made a sort of noise and immediately Andy flew back in to the kitchen and began raining blows to my head and body. I felt again this was it. I was screaming. The next thing I knew a police officer was standing there. I was in total shock and thankful to be alive," his victim added in her statement.

She was treated in hospital for a black eye and large bruises on her head and body, and was given antibiotics for a bite to her face.

Magistrates were told that this assault broke two previous suspended sentences from courts in Southwark and Kent.

Giving mitigation, Elliott Moore said Gallie was sole carer for his young teenage daughter, who had been living with him for three years.

Appealing for bail for his client, Mr Moore said: "This is a case where he is clearly in danger of receiving a custodial sentence and he knows that. It will give him an opportunity to prepare, to put things in place in relation to his property and his daughter."

Gallie was aware that he should not be drinking alcohol in the future and had not done so for four or five weeks prior to the assault, added Mr Moore.

He said Gallie had been working locally at a hotel, but this job had ended.

Magistrates refused bail and remanded him in custody until November 27, when he will appear at Truro Crown Court via television link. His sentence will be decided by a crown court judge.