A MAN who woke up his ex-partner at a Chester hotel before repeatedly punching her in the face has been jailed.

Jimmy Dutton, 22, of Vicars Cross Road, Great Boughton, admitted grievous bodily harm on the woman at the Abode Hotel in the early hours of November 17.

His victim was left with a fractured eye socket.

Dutton also pleaded guilty to damaging a hotel door at the Grosvenor Road hotel the same morning, and an assault on a police officer two weeks prior.

Appearing at Chester Crown Court on Friday, February 7, Dutton was jailed for 30 months.

Prosecuting, Iain Criddle said on November 3, police had gone to arrest Dutton for an unrelated matter.

When the police officer deployed to the scene saw Dutton, he tried to escape and pushed past her.

She chased him and there was a struggle as they fell to the floor, while Dutton attempted to hit out at her.

Dutton was eventually detained with handcuffs and the assistance of incapacitant spray.

During the struggle, the officer received cuts and bruises to the knee, jawbone and shin.

Dutton was bailed for matters which ultimately proceeded no further.

But on the morning of November 17, Dutton - who had been on a night out in a party of four, including his former partner, stayed with them at the Abode Hotel.

The victim had been in a relationship with Dutton for eight months but she had ended that relationship and he had not taken it well, the court heard.

She was in her hotel room bed when she heard Dutton having a violent argument with the other members of the party before falling asleep again.

When she woke up, Dutton was strangling her and giving her verbal abuse, while saying he was "going to kill her".

Dutton then punched her to both eyes, with about 10 punches to the face.

He also kicked her to the leg as she tried to leave the bed.

Other hotel guests heard what was going on and one of them knocked on the door, which the victim answered.

A hotel employee was present and police were called.

Before police arrived, Dutton banged away at a hotel door, damaging it inwards and causing about £1,200 of damage.

He was arrested nearby in Chester city centre.

The victim was left with fractures in two places to her eye socket.

When interviewed, Dutton claimed the victim had bitten him and he was acting in self-defence.

The victim had written a letter to the court, which said Dutton was a kind man who during the relationship was an "excellent role model" to her children.

But he had gone into a depression and started taking drugs.

What happened was "so out of character" and "was not the Jimmy" she knew.

She added she did not want a restraining order imposed.

Dutton had previous convictions for violence from 2015-2018, including a number of assaults, plus malicious communications and making off without payment.

Defending, Simon Mintz said this was Dutton's first conviction for serious violence and there was another side to Dutton's character.

The court heard that, while in custody, Dutton was working and impressing people.

He was remorseful and willing to address his drug problem and go on courses that would change his behaviour.

The victim had been visiting him in prison and Dutton did not feel he was worthy of her support.

Judge Simon Berkson, sentencing Dutton, said of the assault on the officer: "No police officer doing their job properly should expect to struggle and receive scratches."

For the grievous bodily harm, Judge Berkson said: "That was supposed to be a nice night out. You had a room booked in a hotel across this very courtroom.

"You behaved like a wild animal as you strangled her and beat her, and beat her, and beat her, and beat her; punch after punch after punch after punch.

"Those fists caused a fracture to her eye socket; a significant attack while she was vulnerable in her bed.

"This was a disgraceful attack for which you are rightly ashamed.

"References show you are a good and hard worker as a plasterer. Your own victim has written a letter to the court asking me to be merciful.

"But a mixture of cocaine and alcohol led you to behave in that way on that night."