A woman was punched in the face, breaking her tooth, after she told her partner during a drunken argument that she had had aborted his child.

Alvin Worrell, 30, ranted at his long-term partner about her inability to give him a baby, when she snapped and told him she had become pregnant, but had a termination, St Albans Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

The couple returned from a night out in Watford on Saturday, April 10, when a row erupted after Worrell criticised his partner's "lifestyle" said Peter Shaw, prosecuting.

Worrell racially abused the mixed race woman, who has a three-year-old child from a previous relationship, after she told him the truth and that when she had become pregnant by him had decided to terminate the pregnancy.

Mr Shaw said: "She has fallen pregnant by him in the past and he thought it had come to an end by natural means, by miscarriage.

"But it was during this night when he was drunk that she revealed to him the truth, that she underwent an abortion because of the volatile nature of their relationship.

"She did not want to bring up a child into this bad situation. It was not to goad him, but was in response to what he was saying about her being unable to maintain a pregnancy."

Worrell "did not respond well" and "went for her" punching her in the mouth, pulling her to the ground by her hair and "kicking her like a ball" said Mr Shaw.

The woman was left with a catalogue of injuries along with a broken tooth with bruises all over her body.

Worrell, of Lambert Court, Bushey, was charged with racially aggravated assault, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of ABH.

Mr Murray-Smith, defending, said Worrell denied making the racial slurs or to kicking his partner and asked for the court to impose a community order.

Deputy Circuit Judge Ronald Moss said the offence crossed the custody threshold and that he was considering a suspended sentence, to which the defence argued Worrell had been provoked and deserved a community sentence.

Mr Murray-Smith said: "Fifty per cent of what she told police was a pack of lies.

"She did not tell police the argument was over the fact she had aborted a child."

Judge Moss interjected: "You carry on much longer and I may make it an immediate custodial sentence."

Worrell has ten previous convictions, many drink related, but none for violence.

He was handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for what Judge Moss described as a "drunken, violent assault on your partner".

Worrell must attend a domestic abuse programme and was made subject of a three-year restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim.

He was ordered to pay £100 costs.