A GUEST broke a woman's jaw with a single punch during an assault in her own home.

Qamran Ali of Avon Road, Tolladine, Worcester, punched Azra Kausar, breaking the hinge of her jaw, after the two had an argument.

The 38-year-old former carpet fitter and taxi driver admitted section 20 wounding/grievous bodily harm when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday following the assault on April 19.

The precise reason for the argument which triggered the assault was not disclosed in court although it was said to revolve around a mobile phone.

Lal Amarasinghe, prosecuting, said the prosecution did not accept the claim, made by Ali, that he was assaulted first.

He said: "It's a single blow, causing the injury to the lady."

He added: "She is concerned about the defendant and worried."

Ali has eight previous convictions stretching back over 20 years.

They include kidnapping a man following a business dispute, three common assaults, two of which happened when he was 17 and one when he was 19.

A more recent battery matter in 2013 happened when someone drove over carpets outside his shop. He received a conditional discharge.

Alun Williams, defending, said Ali had a supportive family network and was by trade a carpet fitter who had run a carpet business with two shops in Worcester.

Mr Williams said Ali, a divorced father-of-two, described himself as having 'thrown away the business' and 'the productive parts of his life'.

Mr Williams conceded it was 'an unpleasant offence' but stressed there had been no pre-meditation, no weapon, no loss of consciousness or disability caused.

The blow led to the fractured jaw, which resulted in swelling, bruising and loss of mobility to one incisor. It was treated with a course of painkillers and a soft diet.

"This wasn't a sustained or repeated assault" he said.

He asked that the 159 days Ali had spent on remand be deducted from any prison sentence.

Recorder Martin Jackson said the complainant was 'scared and fearful' of Ali.

He added: "You had gone to her address for a social visit and, during the course of that visit, for whatever reason, you lost your temper with her and delivered a single punch to the left hand side of her face, fracturing the hinge of her jaw."

Recorder Jackson said Ali had 'a tendency to use violence'. He added: "It's not something entirely out of your system as yet.

"I actually do regard a fracture of the jaw as a serious injury in the context of the offence."

He took note of both the physical injury Ali caused and the fear experienced by the complainant.

"This was an assault upon someone in her own home. You had been invited there as a guest to socialise" he told the court.

Recorder Jackson sentenced Ali to 22 months in prison but suspended the sentence for two years.

Ali must complete 30 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement as directed by the probation service. He must also undertake the Resolve programme aimed at rehabilitating those who have committed these types of offences.

Ali must pay £1,000 compensation to the victim and a £140 victim surcharge.

A restraining order was also imposed which prevents Ali having contact, directly or indirectly, with Azra Kausar. This will run until further order.