A BIRKENHEAD man who viciously assaulted the mother of his newborn child while on bail for snapping his puppy's legs was jailed today, Thursday.

Stefan McCormick, of Devonshire Road, was on bail for the brutal attack on his four-month-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier Ty when he breached a non-molestation order and attacked his 17-year-old former partner.

The 23-year-old had been ordered by a court to keep away from her but he ignored that and threw one copy of the order in the bin – the other copy remained in his pocket while he battered her.

Her ordeal in a street by a Wirral pub - where the couple ended up after a £400 drinking spree - only stopped after a concerned neighbour heard the girl's frightened screams.

Jailing him for 20 months Judge Robert Trevor-Jones told him there was no other way to describe the attack than "a vicious assault, quite sustained and carried out at night in the street.

"She was very young and only a couple of months before had given birth to your child. You in drink thought you could punch her repeatedly, kick her repeatedly and drag her along the pavement.

"It was quite clearly a terrifying incident as far as she was concerned and she was described as hysterical. I am sure that drink played a significant part in all of this. Whatever the degree of expense, you drank a considerable amount and completely lost control and all sense of inhibition.”

McCormick had pleaded guilty to common assault and breaching a non-molestation order.

He is due to be sentenced later this month for animal cruelty on the puppy, which had to be put down because of its injuries.

Derek Jones, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that McCormick and the victim had been in a two year relationship during which she reported incidents of domestic abuse but then refused to make a statement.

However while pregnant - possibly because she feared the baby would otherwise be taken off her - she sought a non-molestation order which was granted by magistrates.

Their son was born in June and she decided to break off contact, which had been continuing, but he blackmailed her into seeing him, threatening to have the child taken off her if she refused.

On the afternoon of September 8, the two went drinking and ended up in Wetherspoons in Hoylake, where McCormick became increasingly aggressive and argumentative, said Mr Jones.

He had to be restrained by staff, while his ex-girlfriend went outside into Charles Street.

Her next memories are of being repeatedly punched and kicked by McCormick as she lay on the ground.

A neighbour heard what she initially thought was just a drunken argument but then heard a female screaming ‘stop, get off me’. So concerned was she, she asked her mother to call the police. “The neighbour went outside and saw the defendant dragging her along the pavement. She was clearly in distress and screaming.”

McCormick was being verbally abusive to his victim and was heard threatening, 

 “I will snap your f****** neck” and “I will make sure you don’t see your kid”.

He walked off and the neighbour went to her aid. McCormick briefly returned but when told by other passers-by that the police had been called he fled the scene. 

Ironically when arrested he was found to have a copy of the non-molestation order in his pocket, said Mr Jones. His victim suffered bruising and swelling to her back, cheek and arms.

When interviewed McCormick denied being violent and called her "a cheeky bitch".

John Ballam, defending, said McCormick had now accepted that the relationship was over.

He said: "They were both very drunk which does not excuse him.

“He has expressed remorse, shame and regret. He has never been in custody before, other than overnight. "

McCormick is due to be sentenced by Wirral magistrates later this month after admitting snapping his dog’s legs in attack so brutal that the dog “screamed” out in pain when vets tried to assess its injuries.

Four-month-old Staffie Ty had to be put down due to the severity of his injuries.