A domestic abuser slapped his fiancée, cutting her face with his engagement ring - and then pushed her over, smashing her face on a coffee table.

Lee Woolacott, 45, was two weeks away from marrying his Folkestone fiancée when a drunken row turned violent, as her autistic son played upstairs.

After she fled and called 999, Woolacott barricaded himself in her home, wrecked her living room, then repeatedly head-butted windows and threatened to beat police officers.

Woolacott was found guilty of assault by beating at a trial yesterday, when the victim told Folkestone Magistrate’s Court of the attack on May 15.

She said: “He saw red and slapped me across the cheek. I asked him to stop, he grabbed me and pushed me in the middle of the room where my coffee table is.

“Then I fell over and hit my head on the coffee table. (It caused) a cut under the eye and bruising to the lower lip and I bit my lip. I also had bruising on my arms.

“I didn’t call the police because I was scared. Lee said if there was another incident reported to the police, social services would take my children away.”

Still drunk, he left her Folkestone property before sending a string of abusive texts, and then returned for another round of abuse, the court heard.

The victim said: “Lee came up to me in the kitchen. I was scared. I asked him to leave or I would call the police.

“My son was upstairs. I just thought it can’t go on like this any more.”

The court heard how she bundled her son into a car and dialled 999 while Woolacott continued drinking at her property.

Prosecutor Paul Shaw read evidence from PC Murray, who responded to the call.

He said: “Woolacott told me he would knock me out and if I came to the door I will get hurt.

“He started punching the window, he started head-butting the window.”

After his arrest Woolacott told police he was too drunk to remember assaulting the victim, adding he "knows himself and wouldn’t lay a hand on anyone".

Defending, Patrick Cuffe said the victim’s injuries came from Woolacott performing self-defence but magistrates dismissed the claims.

He was also convicted of criminal damage.

Woolacott, who now lives in Lloyd Avenue, Barry, Wales, pleaded to guilty to criminal damage at a previous hearing.

He will be sentenced on Monday, October 2, at Cardiff Magistrates Court.