A PARTNER who broke his girlfriend’s ribs and injured her neck and face has been jailed.

Mark Henry Jackson so terrified the woman, she hid under a duvet when police arrived and they had to persuade her to show them her injuries, said Brooke Morrison, prosecuting.

As well as broken ribs, she had a suspected perforated eardrum, swelling and scratches to her neck and a severely bruised face.

Judge Simon Hickey told Jackson the woman had hidden from the police because she “was undoubtedly frightened of what you would do”.

Jackson, 32, of Heworth Mews, Heworth, pleaded guilty at York Crown Court to causing actual bodily harm.

The judge said Jackson’s basis of plea was that he had grabbed the woman from behind in a bear hug, they had slipped on some milk and both had fallen to the floor and he had then grabbed her in a headlock.

“She is a vulnerable young woman and obviously much smaller physically than you,” he said.

Jackson “for no good reason” had accused her of cheating on him.

The judge jailed Jackson for 12 months.

Ms Morrison said that on May 31 Jackson had gone to a barbecue with some friends and returned to his home, where both were living at the time, at 8.30pm.

He accused her of cheating on him and they argued.

In fear, she contacted a friend, who rang police.

When they arrived, the woman was hiding under a duvet in the bedroom and Jackson smelt of alcohol and had glazed eyes.

The couple had been in what was “undoubtedly an unhealthy relationship” for about a year, said Ms Morrison.

For Jackson, Caroline Abraham said: “He has no intention to resume the relationship”

Although he had previous convictions for violence, they were several years old and he could stay out of trouble.

He had told her he had a job as an HGV driver lined up for when he was released from prison.