A man who punched his wife as she lay on the ground screaming for help has been jailed for 16 weeks.

Ivaylo Blagov Stanchev, of Clifton Terrace, in Douglas, admitted knocking his wife down with a punch during a row over heating, then continuing his assault as she tried to protect herself.

The court heard that Stanchev, aged 39, had been held on remand for seven weeks during the criminal proceedings.

We previously reported how, on March 19, Stanchev was at home with his wife.

She turned the heating on but he was then said to have turned it off. She turned it on again but then Stanchev turned it off again as the disagreement began to escalate.

His wife then picked up a book in each hand and threw them at Stanchev.

This prompted him to shout ’What are you doing?’ and clench his fists angrily.

He then walked over to her and punched her in the face and head knocking her to the ground, then continued punching her in the back and shoulders as she lay there screaming.

Stanchev was arrested and his wife was taken to hospital with a split lip and bruising to her head, back and shoulders.

When interviewed he told police that his wife had thrown the books at him, then picked up a ceramic dish and he had acted in self-defence by punching her twice in the face.

He claimed her lip injury was due to a previous sore but admitted causing bruises.

Stanchev was originally charged with assault causing actual bodily harm and pleaded not guilty but then pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault on a female.

Defending Stanchev in court his advocate Matthew Wilshaw asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea.

’Mrs Stanchev started the incident with an unprovoked attack on him,’ said the advocate. ’It was an act of self-defence that has gone too far. They have been in a long relationship and have two children together. Mr Stanchev has not seen his children since he has been on remand in Jurby. Word of the incident has got round the island’s Bulgarian community. He says there have been a lot of untruths about what happened. He fears reprisals from the Bulgarian community.’

Mr Wilshaw went on to say that Stanchev would not be moving back in with his wife.

Chair of the magistrates Charles Fargher said while passing sentence: ’The message must go out violence against one’s partner will not be tolerated.’