A BUSINESS owner who admitting attacking his former partner and locking her in the house has been given a 12-month conditional discharge.

Roger Poole, 64, admitted assault by beating when he appeared at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court in October. He was called back for sentencing on Friday.

He was ordered to pay £50 compensation and £100 costs.

At the original hearing, where a two-year restraining order was imposed, Elizabeth Valera, prosecuting, said the victim was living with the defendant when an argument started early in the morning. She said Poole was very angry with his former partner and grabbed hold of her wrist and pushed her against the bedroom wall.

The court heard that Poole, of Lymstream Higher Mill, Lyme Regis, let go of the victim, who reached for the phone to call the police.

But the call was abandoned when Poole snapped the phone cord. Miss Valera added: “Poole then left the address and drove away.

“She had no key, so she was effectively locked in. The police then arrived because of the abandoned 999 call.”

In mitigation, Lee Christmas said Poole, who is of previous good character and owns his own business, reacted in anger after he believed the victim had taken his mobile phone.

Mr Christmas told magistrates: “He accepts he could have walked away. It lasted only seconds and that is the extent of the assault.”