A THUG pinned his ex-girlfriend to her bed and punched her so hard he perforated her eardrum all because she stopped him from rolling a joint.

Stuart Carter, 37, grabbed Sussana Kamielczak by the throat then punched her repeatedly as she lay on her bed, Oxford Crown Court was told. His ex-girlfriend suffered bruises to her face, cheekbones, neck and a perforated ear drum in the attack on December 9 last year. Carter, of Broughton Road, Banbury, was given an 18-month community supervision order after pleading guilty to causing actual bodily harm.

Rachel Drake, prosecuting, said a drunken Carter began swearing and kicking furniture when Miss Kamielczak asked him not to smoke a cannabis joint in her living room.

He followed her into the bedroom, pinned her down and the attack began.

"He jumped on top of her punching her in the face saying 'I'm going to kill you' pulling her hair and punching her on the left cheek so much she was frightened for her life," Ms Drake said.

Miss Kamielczak escaped and called the police.

Salim Hafejee, defending, said Carter suffered mental problems and was too drunk to remember what he had done.

Sentencing Carter to a community supervision order, Judge Bruce McIntyre said because he had pleaded guilty, had no previous convictions for violence and lives next door to his victim without any further problems, he would escape a jail term.

Carter was also ordered to take a domestic violence programme and undergo drugs treatment.