A woman who was in a violent relationship was attacked by her partner when she told him she had reported him to police.

Tina Barnes told Steven Bromel that he would never hurt her again.

But he followed her to an alleyway in Huddersfield town centre and punched and headbutted her.

Kirklees magistrates heard that West Yorkshire Police had previously been alerted to eight incidents of violence involving the couple.

Bromel, 53, pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner of seven years on November 17.

Prosecutor Andy Wills said that Ms Barnes described their relationship as violent, particularly when he had been drinking.

Despite the large number of police call-outs no formal charges had ever been brought against Bromel, of Elmwood Court near the town centre.

A year ago Ms Barnes moved from Northamptonshire to Huddersfield and became a church volunteer

The court heard that she wanted to get away from Bromel but after serving time in prison he found her and also came to the town.

Mr Wills said: “The relationship resumed and the violence continued.

“She stopped volunteering, stopped seeing her friends and her family have not spoken to her for the last seven months because of the situation with the defendant.”

Magistrates were told that on the day of the attack Ms Barnes had finally summoned up the courage to tell police that Bromel had harmed her.

But after sitting at Huddersfield Police Station for 20 minutes she changed her mind and left.

Ms Barnes walked through the town and was close to the Catholic Church near her home in Highfields, when she saw and started talking to a male friend.

Mr Wills said that the friend was scared of Bromel and ran away when he showed up.

He told magistrates: “He asked where she’d been and she lied and said: ‘I’ve given a statement to police, you can’t touch me again’.

“She said: ‘He became verbally abusive and walked towards me. He followed me down an alleyway where I tried to hide down some steps.

“He was very drunk (and) he punched me to the stomach and to my face and then headbutted me.’”

Bromel aimed for Ms Barnes again but lost his balance and headbutted a wall behind her.

Ms Barnes managed to run away to two people waiting at a bus stop and police arrived.

The court heard that her ordeal lasted for 15 minutes.

Bromel, who appeared from custody, has 122 offences on his record including three matters of violence

Magistrates ordered a report before sentencing him but warned him that custody remains an option.