A man has been jailed after knocking his girlfriend's tooth out in a row over her alleged cheating.
"Jealous and controlling" Barry Payne struck Sonia Clayfield at his Colchester home, a court heard. He had asked her over in a phone conversation, where he accused her of seeing another man.
Colchester magistrates heard the pair argued when Miss Clayfield got to the Alexander Road property and Payne struck her in the mouth as she tried to leave.
The 31-year-old was convicted of common assault after a trial.
Mark Francis, mitigating, said he has a drink problem.
The bench jailed Payne, who has previous convictions for causing actual bodily harm and common assault, for four months and ordered he pay Miss Clayfield £300 compensation.
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