A man who punched his wife has been put on probation for 18 months and given a restraining order.

Diogo Miguel Monteiro Ramos was also ordered to pay her £500 compensation and pay £500 prosecution costs, due to initially denying the common assault, then changing his plea to guilty.

Two other charges, of domestic abuse and property damage, were withdrawn after he entered his guilty plea to the assault.

We previously reported that Ramos had been out drinking on August 27 last year when he returned to his address at Cushag Road in Douglas.

He was said to have started throwing things around and swearing at his wife.

When his wife asked him what was going on, he continued to be abusive, then broke the television set.

He grabbed the woman, hitting her on the arms, and threw her onto the sofa as he continued to insult her.

She fled to the bedroom but Ramos followed, then threw her onto the bed before punching her in the face, causing an injury to her eye and her nose to bleed.

Fortunately no lasting injury was caused.

The court heard that Ramos has no previous convictions.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain said that the defendant had written a letter of apology to his wife but she had not wanted to accept the letter.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode entered a basis of plea for his client, in which Ramos said they had been married for 11 years and admitted that he had arrived home intoxicated.

He said that he had been upset over personal issues and admitted he had punched his wife once to the face, with other punches landing on her arms.

Mr Kermode said that his client was admitting that the extent of the violence was a punch to the face, strikes on the arms, and some grabbing.

The advocate said: ‘This was a one-off incident of common assault, just over a year ago.

‘Mr Ramos accepts when he came home he had been drinking, which was rare for him.

‘An argument developed about personal issues and it escalated.

‘No weapon was used, it was not planned or premeditated, it was a momentary loss of control in an escalating argument.’

Mr Kermode said that the guilty plea had been entered after discussions with the prosecution which resulted in the other two charges being withdrawn.

‘The plea avoided his wife being cross-examined,’ said the advocate.

Mr Kermode said that Ramos had written the apology letter in July so it was not a last minute attempt to gain brownie points.

The advocate referred to a probation report which suggested a period of probation, saying that this would allow Ramos to undertake a programme of work with probation.

Magistrates chair Gill Eaton said: ‘This was a nasty attack on your wife in her home, a place she should have felt safe.’

The restraining order will last for two years.

Ramos will pay the costs and compensation at a rate of £10 per week, deducted from benefits.