by Keith Hunt

A man who beat up his girlfriend after drinking "disgusting quantities" of booze has walked free after less than three months in custody.

Craig Palmer had downed 10 double vodkas, five whiskies, eight pints of lager and six Sambuca shots before laying into Shelly Abnett and leaving her injured.

But a judge suspended six months imprisonment for two years on hearing Palmer had been "very well behaved" while on remand at Elmley Prison, Sheppey.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the couple had been out with friends on May 17. They returned home and Palmer, 27, assaulted Miss Abnett.

"You had drunk what is really a disgusting quantity," said Recorder Charles George QC. "You seem to have turned on your partner and delivered a number of punches and kicks to her. I have seen several photographs of the incident and they make very unpleasant viewing."

Palmer, of Lime Crescent, East Malling, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

Christopher Harding, defending, said Miss Abnett was standing by Palmer.

Recorder George said he was suspending the sentence "not without hesitation". He did not propose to activate a previous eight months suspended sentence.

Palmer will be under supervision for two years and have to attend domestic abuse and alcohol treatment programmes. He voluntarily completed an alcohol detox programme in custody.

The judge also ordered Palmer to live at his parents’ home in Leeds, near Maidstone for the next two years and to do a further 100 hours unpaid work, having completed 140 hours of a previous order.

He said he had at first thought the offence was so serious that only prison was appropriate because the way he treated the victim was "completely unacceptable".