A Ngunnawal man has been jailed after he drunkenly knocked his partner to the ground and stomped on her head during an argument.
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In an ''absolutely bizarre'' turn of events, Brett Anthony Hodgson, 41, was attending anti-domestic violence classes at the time of the bashing in August.
He was also on a good-behaviour order and serving a suspended sentence for assaulting his partner in 2010.
Hodgson has pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The court heard Hodgson and his wife had an argument over a $100 note as they left a birthday party at a club in Greenway on August 21.
He was caught on CCTV camera punching the woman in the face, knocking her to the ground, before stomping on her head and kicking her repeatedly as she lay on the ground.
Yesterday, Magistrate Maria Doogan said Hodgson had carried out a ''brutal, forceful and prolonged'' attack on a totally helpless woman, leaving her covered with cuts and bruises to her face.
She said Hodgson's behaviour had to be condemned in the strongest terms.
Ms Doogan accepted Hodgson was remorseful for his actions, noting Hodgson had previously been using heroin and made significant steps to regain control over his life.
But she said it was not the first assault he had committed on his partner and it was ''absolutely bizarre'' that he was attending anti-domestic violence classes at the time of the offence.
She sentenced Hodgson to a total of 21 months in jail, including three months' jail for breaching the suspended sentence from last year. Ms Doogan also ordered him to spend nine months in prison followed by six months of weekend jail.
The balance of the sentence was suspended and he will be placed on a good-behaviour order once released from full-time custody.