AN Isle of Wight man launched a "persistent assault" against a woman he claimed refused to leave his home after a disagreement.

Timothy Layfield, of High Street, Wootton, appeared before Island magistrates for sentencing on Friday, November 1.

At an earlier hearing at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court, Layfield, 55, admitted assaulting a woman by beating, in Wootton, on August 4.

Giles Fletcher, prosecuting, said Layfield had been in The Wheatsheaf pub, in Newport, on August 8, with his partner and their friend.

The three left the pub and continued to drink at Layfield’s Wootton home.

Layfield’s friend, later to become his victim, saw his mood dip throughout the evening as they continued drinking, the court was told.

The complainant asked whether she could help clean up, but soon after, Layfield asked her to leave.

Layfield then pushed her to the floor, got on top of her and assaulted her, Mr Fletcher explained.

The victim, who said in her statement she thought he might kill her, believed her offer to help clean up had caused him some kind of offence.

The attack, described as being persistent, left the woman suffering several injuries.

For Layfield, Oscar Vincent said his client's meeting with the woman was a chance one in Newport that night, and that both parties had been drinking.

Layfield, through his solicitor, claimed the woman had made "devastating comments" about his home and he had asked her to leave three times - each time met with refusal.

"He even called the police to complain she would not leave and to remove her from the premises," Mr Vincent said.

"He accepts he had used physical force to get her off the premises. He was surprised the police had not turned up that night.

"He was even more surprised when they turned up the following day to arrest him."

Presiding magistrate Keith Jones told Layfield it was a "nasty assault" and handed him a year's probation.

Layfield must pay the victim £100 compensation, plus a £200 fine, £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.