A MAN who was the carer for his vulnerable partner kicked her as she lay on the floor.

Gavin John Kirk, 40, who was appearing at Flintshire Magistrates’ Court, was told he had been in a position of trust over her.

Kirk, of Moreton House, Moreton Street, Johnstown, near Wrexham, admitted assaulting Amanda Elson during an incident on September 15.

He was bailed pending sentence.

Matthew Ellis, prosecuting, said the couple had three children and she had two children from an earlier relationship.

They had recently moved to Johnstown from the Deeside area following problems with their neighbours.

Miss Elson suffered from mental health problems and both had been under a great deal of stress.

The couple had a row during which Kirk slapped her across the face which knocked her on to the kitchen floor and he then kicked her to the side of the body a number of times.

Arrested and interviewed, he said he was extremely remorseful and very sorry for what had happened.

She had been screaming and shouting so he said he hit her and kicked her bottom twice very hard.

Mr Ellis said: “The defendant said he did not know what he was thinking of.”

His wife was not happy in the Wrexham area. She felt alone and did not want to go out.

Andrew Halliday, defending, said his client had admitted the offences at an early stage and was very remorseful.

The couple were now reconciled and the court would be helped by a pre-sentence report, he said.

An attempt by Mr Halliday to keep his client’s address secret failed.

He said he had wanted “a press order” because of the previous difficulties with neighbours where he claimed his clients had been “terrorised”.

But magistrates were told by legal adviser Paul Conlon that while an order could be made under The Contempt of Court Act, the advice from the higher courts was that it should be used extremely rarely.