A YOUNG man who beat his partner “black and blue” with a piece of wood from a broken wardrobe had been sentenced to youth detention.

A judge told John Michael Cooper the attack had come out of the blue.

District judge Gwyn Jones said he had then treated his partner with contempt by telling her to get water for him.

Cooper, 20, of Chathams Close in Acrefair near Wrexham, was at the time using drink and drugs, North East Wales Magistrates Court was told.

He admitted assaulting Megan Brookes during an incident on October 8.

Cooper received a 26 week sentence of youth detention and a four year restraining order was made so that he does not have any contact with her.

“This took place very much out of the blue,” the judge told him.

Cooper had arrived back home, went upstairs and realised that damage had been caused to the wardrobe.

His partner apologised that she had not got anyone to repair it.

“What then happened, out of the blue, was that you used a piece of wood from the broken wardrobe and struck out at Megan Brookes, no doubt causing significant pain and trauma,” the judge said.

She was trying to work out why her partner of three years was behaving in such a way.

The judge told him: “She was subjected to a sustained attack with a weapon.

“She suffered injuries. You beat her black and blue.”

Thereafter, he treated her with contempt and told her to get him some water.

“Those comments may have been acceptable many, many years ago.

“But to treat your partner with such a lack of respect is not in any way appropriate in 2018,” the judge said, adding

the sentence took into account his guilty plea and his own vulnerabilities.

Prosecutor Justin Espie said it was at 4pm that police received a report of an assault and that a female had been repeatedly struck.

Cooper had returned home, became extremely annoyed that the wardrobe was broken, tried to fix it himself but failed to do so.

“He then struck her with a large piece of wood which had come apart from the wardrobe.

“It was with sufficient force that the wood broke into three separate pieces,” he said.

She froze and did not say anything but he picked up one of the broken pieces of wood and struck her again, about 15 times in total as the victim screamed at him “stop hitting me.”

As she left the house she could hear him smashing the wardrobe further.

Police found her in an injured and upset state and she was taken to hospital.

Laura Preston-Hayes, defending, said that it was accepted that it was a nasty incident.

Cooper had expressed genuine remorse but the Mold court heard there was no chance of reconciliation.

Miss Preston-Hayes said her client needed assistance as well as punishment.

He was addicted to drugs and also had alcohol problems.

She said Cooper had a horrific upbringing but was not using that as an excuse.

He also had mental health issues, suffered from depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and had an appointment with mental health services.

She suggested rehabilitation was key to help him with his addiction and his way of thinking.

Miss Preston-Hayes said Cooper appreciated his behaviour was affecting his relationship with his family.

They did not want anything to do with him unless he was off the drugs and drink.

Cooper had been off drugs for a week now and wanted that to continue, but he accepted that alcohol was still a problem for him.

“He is motivated to change,” she said.

Miss Preston-Hayes suggested that if the court felt that it passed the custody threshold, then a suspended sentence would be appropriate.