A man from China who assaulted his wife has been banned from the island for five years.

Nianchao Yang had previously denied the assault and was being held in custody with a trial due in March.

However, on Tuesday, the 36-year-old changed his plea to guilty.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood sentenced him to six weeks’ custody, but Yang has been on remand since January 3, so he will be time served and deported upon his release.

Prosecuting advocate Kate Alexander told the court that police were called to a car park at Victoria Road in Douglas on January 3, at 3.30pm.

Yang was reported to have been involved in a row with his wife, outside their workplace there.

He was said to have slapped her in the face a number of times, causing her nose to bleed, though he claimed this had been accidental.

Yang was also said to have kicked his wife on the thigh multiple times.

When officers arrived they described the defendant as being unsteady on his feet and intoxicated.

He was arrested and taken to police headquarters where, during an interview, he admitted arguing with his wife and said that he had pulled and kicked her.

He said he was her husband and ‘owns her’.

He then claimed they had only been joking around and that she had tripped over a plant pot.

He claimed he had then tried to kick the pot but missed and kicked her instead.

Of her nose injury, Yang claimed he had been pulling her to her feet when his hand slipped and hit her in the face.

He also claimed that she may have had a nose infection which contributed to her nosebleed.

Yang was charged with common assault on a female.

His wife was said to have already left the island and returned to China, but the prosecution was proceeding as there was an independent witness to the assault.

Defence advocate Helen Lobb entered a basis of plea for her client, in which Yang reiterated that his hand had slipped when he slapped his wife, but accepted that he had been using excessive force and had kicked her.

However, he said that the kicks had not been with much force.

Deputy High Bailiff Ms Braidwood said that the differing accounts would not make a material difference to sentencing and that she would sentence the defendant on the basis his slap had been accidental.

Ms Lobb said that Yang, whose address was given as Central Promenade in Douglas, had been married for 13 years and had come to the island two or three months ago to earn money to send back to his family in China.

The advocate said that Yang wanted to return to China as his father was ill and being in custody had meant he hadn’t been able to earn any money to send home.

He appeared in court with an interpreter and said that his time in custody had been difficult.

He spoke no English and had to rely on a form of Google translator to communicate at the prison.

Ms Lobb said that a family member had offered to pay for Yang’s travel costs back to China.

The court heard that he has no previous convictions.

No order for prosecution costs was made.