A 33-year-old man locked up for breaching his bail to take money to his penniless former partner on Boxing Day has been spared an immediate jail sentence for previously assaulting her and his teenage son.

The Keighley man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, broke an order not to visit his family when he took round £100 to tide them over Christmas. He pleaded guilty to breach of bail and was held in custody by Bradford and Keighley magistrates.

At a hearing at Bradford Crown Court on December 2, he had admitted causing his former partner actual bodily harm and common assault on his son, aged 13.

Last Thursday he was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, with supervision and ordered to pay his former partner £350 in compensation.

Prosecutor Robert Galley told Bradford Crown Court the man kneed the woman in the face during a heated argument at the family home on November 16. She suffered cuts to her mouth and ear.

The man then slapped his son round the head for getting into trouble at school.

His barrister, Stephen Wood, said his client’s former partner did not call the police when he went round on Boxing Day. She had asked him to take her money to tide her over the Christmas period.

Mr Wood urged the court to spare the defendant prison so he could continue in his job to provide for her and their children.