A MAN let himself into his ex-partner's home and repeatedly punched her in the face as their two-year-old daughter lay in bed beside her.

Bolton Crown Court heard that terrified Bethany Harling tried to escape but jealous Kristen Hanratty followed her to the living room where he stamped on her chest and then chased his semi-naked victim into the street before she was rescued by neighbours.

Hanratty, a 30-year-old food company manager, was jailed for 16 months, and Judge Richard Gioserano told him he had behaved in a "disgraceful" way.

Gavin Howie, prosecuting, told the court how Hanratty had been in a relationship with Miss Harling for four years but they had separated before Christmas last year and he moved out of their home in Raveden Close, Smithills.

On the evening of February 24 this year Miss Harling's young daughter awoke and so she took the child into her own bed.

But then, at around 3am, Hanratty let himself into the property with his keys and went upstairs.

"Miss Harling awoke to find the defendant standing over her in the bedroom," said Mr Howie.

Hanratty had her iPhone in his hand, saying he had come to "catch her out".

He demanded to know the phone's unlock code, telling her: "I'll get nasty if I don't get it."

When Miss Harling refused Hanratty became aggressive.

"He punched her repeatedly while she lay on the bed next to her two-year-old daughter," said Mr Howie.

Hanratty, who is 6ft 3ins tall and has had boxing training, continued the attack, with the child crying beside her mother, until Miss Harling opened the phone for him.

"She described herself as being petrified," said Mr Howie.

Hanratty, who had been drinking and had taken cocaine, told his former partner: "If I find you have been having an affair I'll kill you."

While Hanratty searched the phone and left a threatening voicemail message for one of her friends, Miss Harling pulled on underwear and ran downstairs.

Mr Howie stressed that she knew Hanratty would not hurt their daughter.

But Hanratty grabbed her and, in the living room, stamped on her chest several times.

"She was trying to protect her head with her arms," said Mr Howie.

"She managed to get up and run outside shouting for help."

As Hanratty chased her around a car neighbours came to her aid, giving her sanctuary in their home, collecting her daughter and calling police.

The mother was taken to hospital with cuts, grazes, black eyes, injured nose and a fractured eye socket caused by the punches.

After his arrest Hanratty, who worked in management for the Finsbury Food Group, told police he had been drinking, taking drugs and had gone to the house on the spur of the moment rather than going to his mother's house where he had been living.

When shown Miss Harling's injuries Hanratty, who has no previous convictions, was said to have been shocked.

"Mercifully, the injuries were not as bad as they might have been," said Mr Howie.

Hanratty, of Prestolee Road, Stoneclough, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

David Polglase, defending, said Hanratty had a strong work ethic and was highly regarded by his employers.

He added: "Alcohol and cocaine are not excuses but they appear to have underpinned this incident.

"Since this offence, to put it bluntly, Mr Hanratty has frightened himself. He has realised having issues and seeking to medicate through drink is not the way forward."

Mr Polglase appealed for Judge Gioserano to suspend any prison sentence, adding that the court proceedings have been a "dramatic wake-up call" for Hanratty.

But the judge said that the crime was so serious only an immediate prison sentence could be justified.

He told Hanratty: "Whatever occurred in your relationship with Bethany Harling you had no right to enter what had, in effect, become her home, in the middle of the night.

"There was no justification to wake her from her sleep and then subject her, with her child beside her, to a brutal and sustained assault.

"It was not only terrifying for her but for the little girl beside her."

In addition to the prison sentence Judge Gioserano made a restraining order banning Hanratty from contacting Miss Harling, or going within 100 metres of her home, for five years.