DOMESTIC violence victim Kim Taylor has branded the chance for her attacker to sort his life out or face jail as "a joke".

Christopher Wood, 21, put her in hospital with a displaced fracture of the cheek after a drunken attack on her following an afternoon in the pub, Swindon Crown Court heard.

Miss Taylor, 23, of Latton Close, Penhill, needed surgery to have a metal plate inserted in her jaw.

But judge Tom Longbotham decided to defer sentence on Wood for four months to see if he can mend his ways.

After the hearing, Miss Taylor said: "I think the deferred sentence was a joke.

"He punched me in the face twice, whether he meant to or not, and left me needing a metal plate in my face.

"I feel the system has let me down and I don't think he should walk free.

"I now have to think twice about going to places I would normally go.

"He knows where I go shopping, where my son's school is and the way I walk home.

"He's been in prison before for GBH and initially there was going to be a trial.

"Now he's pleaded guilty and walked out of court I wonder if it was even worth reporting it to the police."

Swindon Crown Court was told the couple had been together for 16 months when the incident happened last October.

Mark Hollier, prosecuting, said: "On October 7 last year, he spent the afternoon in the pub, arriving home at about 7pm. He was drunk.

"There was an argument between the couple both physical and verbal.

"It was quite heated and the case against him is he went over the top.

"He punched her in the face causing a severe fracture to her right cheek bone, bruising to the face and a nasty cut."

He told the court that a neighbour downstairs heard shouting and screaming and called the police.

The female occupant of the flat below looked after Miss Taylor while her boyfriend stayed with Wood.

Mr Hollier added that Wood, of Carstairs Avenue, Park South, had been before the courts once before when he was convicted of robbery and grievous bodily harm.

At an earlier hearing for this case, he admitted grievous bodily harm.

Marcus Davey, defending, said "This was a significant and serious injury to Kim Taylor but it was from one blow only.

"It was a blow with an open hand, the palm what can truly and realistically be described as a momentary loss of self control."

On the day of the offence he said Wood had played for his football team in the morning but at lunchtime the couple started arguing.

He then went to see his mother but when he returned they rowed again so he went to a pub where he knew members of his family would be before going home again at 7pm. On his return they rowed again.

He said Miss Taylor also hit his client a number of times and threw a plant pot at him before he struck out .

After reading a pre-sentence report and a psychiatric report the judge said he was prepared to defer sentence.

He warned Wood to control his drinking, to take his anti-depressant medication and find work. He also said he may benefit from alcohol counselling.

If he complied with the instructions and did not re-offend the judge said the court ought to be able to pass a non-custodial sentence.