A WEYMOUTH man wept as he was handed a three-month prison sentence for assaulting his girlfriend.

Adam Neale Shilton, aged 26, previously of Belle Vue Road, Weymouth, appeared at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court for sentencing.

At a previous appearance, Shilton admitted to assaulting Hana Arnold in Governor’s Lane on Monday, November 3.

The incident happened in the early hours of the morning and was captured on CCTV.

The footage, which was played to the court by Lee Turner, prosecuting, showed Shilton manhandling Miss Arnold, clutching her head and covering her mouth.

The court heard from the prosecution previously how Miss Arnold had suffered facial injuries as a result of the attack, including a lump to the side of her head and a swollen upper lip.

It was also revealed at the previous hearing that Shilton had breached a suspended sentence order imposed last year for driving whilst disqualified.

The case was adjourned to allow for a pre-sentence report.

Mitigating, Lee Christmas reminded the court that Miss Arnold didn’t support the prosecution and this remained the case.

He said: “Mr Shilton accepts what he did that night was appalling.

“Her family are here. His family are here. He cares deeply about her.

“What he knows is that he needs help. Since that night he has done everything he can to make things right.

“He made contact with a voluntary agency in Poole who helps him with his substance misuse.

“Since that night he hasn’t touched drugs or drink and he intends to stay clear of these substances.”

Mr Christmas said he wasn’t aware if Shilton and Miss Arnold were still together but he did confirm Shilton had since moved in with his family at an address in Sturminster Newton.

He asked the court to let Shilton keep his liberty, describing his client’s most recent charge as something ‘totally dissimilar’ to the offence that saw him receive a suspended sentence last year.

He said: “In that situation it seems a case where you don’t need to activate a suspended sentence.”

After much deliberation, magistrates sentenced Shilton to three months imprisonment, activating his suspended sentence to run concurrently.

Shilton wept as the sentence was given. After receiving his sentence, Shilton shouted to Miss Arnold, who was in the room, and said: “I love you, Hana. I love you, baby. I love you so much.”