A MAN has admitted an assault on his partner.

John Elwyn Johnson, 51, pleaded guilty to assault by beating in an incident that happened after an argument in the sheep pen at their home in Llanwddyn on April 15.

Appearing at Welshpool Magistrates Court, he was sentenced to a 12 month community order which will include 80 hours of unpaid work.

Helen Tench, prosecuting, said: "The defendant and victim have been in a relationship for 12 years and have two children but for the past few years he has been more negative towards her."

She said that on the day of the assault Johnson accused his partner of making too much milk and said "why are you so stupid?"

Ms Tench said: "He grabbed her around the neck, shook her three times, and she fell backwards against the metal sheep pen railings. She landed awkwardly and walked out of the house and rang 999.

"He said to her "you are going to be the ruin of this family"."

A victim statement read out in court by Ms Tench said: "I'm at my wits end, I can't take the verbal bullying that has been going on for years and want him to understand what he has done is totally wrong."

Ms Tench added that when police arrived at the property Johnson denied any historic bullying and that they had argued after a complication over milk.

In a second interview with police, Johnson, an agricultural contractor, said he did grab his partner by her neck out of "frustration", not intending to hurt her but to get her to listen to what he had said.

Ms Tench said the relationship had since been reconciled.

Robert Hanratty, defending, said the offence was totally out of character.

He said: "He is a man of previous good character and it was a tiring time when they were lambing.

"It is unusual he lost his temper over something so trivial."

Chair of the magistrates bench Nerys Jones, sentencing Johnson to a community order, also ordered him to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.