A MAN who beat up his partner of 14 years in front of their children on his son’s birthday has been spared prison.

Kidlington man Gavin Ashton assaulted Jenna Bayliss at their home in January – just three days after he was handed a three-month suspended prison sentence for stealing a scooter.

But the 29-year-old avoided jail again on Thursday after admitting the common assault.

Instead, his three-month sentence was suspended for a further 18 months at Oxford Crown Court.

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Prosecutor Daniel Bunting said Ashton had worked late the night before the January 5 incident and came downstairs at 1pm and went to leave the house in Cherwell Avenue, Kidlington.

He said: “The victim asked where he was going on his son’s birthday and asked if he was going to see another woman and he said ‘yes’.”

He said Miss Bayliss then threw some food packaging at Ashton and he reacted violently, adding: “He punched her to the right hand side of the head. He was asked to leave and went on to punch her on several occasions.”

Robert Lindsey, defending, said Ashton had been with his partner since the age of 15 and had four children with her.

He said the victim had given four different accounts of what had happened so events were still unclear.

And he said his client, formerly of Croxford Gardens in Kidlington, had now moved down to North Devon.

Judge Ian Pringle said assault in the home was worse than in the street.

He said: “It was a shameful thing to do.”

Ashton was also ordered to complete a two-year supervision order and complete the Building Better Relationships programme.

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