A violent thug tore his wife's mouth open at a holiday park by using his fingers in a fishing hook motion.

Drug and drink-fuelled Michael Quilligan, 44, was trying to stop his partner leaving a caravan when he grabbed her face and pulled from behind.

The resulting wound, described by police as "horrific", left her covered in blood, unable to speak and with a "flapping" tear measuring 6cm by 3cm.

A judge told Quilligan that his victim, now permanently scarred, would have a daily reminder of his attack every time she looked in the mirror.

The couple had been in a relationship for 20 years, with six children together, when violence flared at the Marlie Holiday Park in New Romney at about 10.30pm on August 11.

The victim later told police that Quilligan "started to become lairy" so she decided to leave "before it got worse", Canterbury Crown Court was told last week.

However, having initially been able to shrug him off as he grabbed the shoulder of her denim jacket, she then felt him grabbing at her face from behind.

Prosecutor Douglas Scott said: "She continued to try and shrug him off and get out of the caravan but then in a matter of seconds he assaulted her causing the injury, with his fingers inside her mouth and pulling in a motion away from her face.”

The court heard the victim demonstrated to police how Quilligan had used a fish hook motion but added "he didn't mean to do it".

"One of the officers described her injury as horrific, and one of the first witnesses on the scene described the horrific injury with separation between the skin and seeing the teeth underneath," continued the prosecutor.

"The victim was complaining of significant pain to the right-hand side of her face and was unable to speak due to her lip. Police also saw blood on her hands, face and legs, as well as her clothing. Her medical records state she lost one-and-a-half mugs of blood with a deep, right lip laceration, flapping and measuring 6cm by 3cm.

"The prosecution say, as highlighted by the injuries, it must be that this could not have been a pure accident and the defendant must have intended injury and was reckless to causing serious injury."

The court heard Quilligan, of Park Lane, Hornchurch, had been drinking and taking cocaine that night but owned up to the attack on arrest and later pleaded guilty to an offence of wounding.

‘Police also saw blood on her hands, face and legs, as well as her clothing...’

"From the outset he has demonstrated genuine remorse. His comments after arrest were to immediately inquire if his wife was OK and he immediately accepted he was in the wrong," said defence lawyer Natasha Spreadborough.

"He has apologised, through me, profusely to the complainant. He has made it quite clear that no matter what, nobody deserves to be the victim of his behaviour, such as it was on the evening in question."

Quilligan has a total of 16 convictions for 26 offences both in this country and in Ireland, including for affray and assault causing actual bodily harm.

He also has a caution for battery against the same woman in 2006, but the court heard that in respect of the wounding charge she neither supported the prosecution nor gave any form of statement to police.

Family and friends packed the courtroom in support, with character references handed to the judge speaking of his "hard-working and helpful" nature.

Jailing Quilligan for 25 months, Judge Simon Taylor KC said he could not determine whether the gaping wound was caused solely by the force of his fingers or a combined force as his long-term partner tried to pull herself free from his grasp.

But he added that although he had "no doubt" that Quilligan regretted his assault, he had to "take responsibility" for the permanent facial scarring caused.

"Your actions will have a life-long impact and a daily reminder every time she looks in the mirror," the judge told Quilligan, who appeared for his sentencing hearing on Friday, via prison video link.

"It was impulsive, spontaneous and short-lived, and it was a reckless assault, deliberately designed to restrain your victim by grabbing her by the face."

No restraining order was sought by the prosecution.