four months after he admitted hitting his girlfriend so hard in the face that she received a cut that required 40 stitches.

Michael David Daniels, of Billy Goat Hill, admitted unlawfully wounding his son's mother on October 31.

Insp. Kenrick James prosecuting, said that Police were called to a home on Coot Pond Road, St. George's at 6.17 p.m. and found a woman holding towels to her chin.

She told the officers that her son's father punched her in the face as she was getting her children ready for Hallowe'en.

At hospital she received 40 stitches. Daniels was arrested at 9.05 p.m. that night.

Daniels disputed the Police account and said he had just paid his girlfriend's rent and he asked her why the house was dirty. At that point he said she began to swear at him.

"She really wanted it in a way,'' Daniels told the court. "I am very sorry how this went but If I had punched her she would have been knocked out. This girl has been a nuisance to me.'' Initially, Mr. Francis considered ordering a social inquiry report but Insp.

James argued that the seriousness of the offence had to be driven home to Daniels.

But Mr. Francis said: "One has to wonder that if a man his size were to hit a woman, there would be more than a cut.'' Duty counsel Duncan Hall said a social inquiry report would provide a fuller picture of the events and surrounding circumstances.

But Mr. Francis decided against the social inquiry report when he learned that Daniels had a prior conviction for assault causing bodily harm in 1985.

Mr. Francis said: "This was an awfully hard blow that caused a serious injury.'' But Daniels retorted: "When I hit her she just walked away. I did not see any blood.'' Mr. Francis then said that Daniels appeared not to understand the seriousness of his action.

"It doesn't seem to have grabbed you at all,'' Mr. Francis said. "I have heard all I need to hear in this matter. I sentence you to a term of imprisonment for four months.''