A SOUTHAMPTON roofer jumped to the wrong conclusion when he saw his girlfriend’s face covered in blood and thought she had been attacked by another man with whom they had been drinking.

So Lewis Clay punched him three or four times to the face. In reality, Sherralee Jackson had split her own forehead when she headbutted Oliver Graham in a response to provocative remarks from him about her children.

Judge Keith Cutler heard police found Mr Graham slumped on the ground outside the flat, bleeding heavily, and had suffered a broken nose and a fractured eye socket.

However, it was impossible to say whether it was the headbutt or punches that had caused his injuries.

Clay, 28, of Wavell Road, Southampton, admitted causing actual bodily harm and received a 15-month suspended sentence with 18 months’ supervision. He was also ordered to pay him £500 compensation.

“This was a violent outburst and the injuries he suffered were significant,” said the judge, passing sentence.

John Jones, defending, said all three had started drinking the night before and continued drinking the following morning and was sorry for what he had done.

Jackson, 27, also of Wavell Road, had admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm at an earlier hearing when she received a 15-month suspended sentence with 18 months’ supervision.