AN amateur boxer slapped his partner twice in the face after a row and drove off with his daughter in the car, as well a knife, and the door open.

Jack Coogan, 20, pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and assault and was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday, August 3.

Coogan, of Knowlton Road, Poole, was at his partner's address with her on April 24 looking after his 15-month-old daughter and her five children.

Prosecuting, Fern Russell said the defendant went to the pub, returned to the property in Poole and then went to the pub again, this time with the victim.

Once they returned, a row ensued and Coogan left the premises. After he left, his partner messaged him to say the relationship was over and packed up his belongings.

“He turned up at the house banging on the front door,” Ms Russell told the court.

“She opened and said ‘get back in your car you need to leave’. At that point he used his open hand to slap her to the right hand side of her face.”

Coogan eventually left, collecting his daughter and putting her in the car, concerning the victim who then phoned the police.

Ms Russell said he drove off with the door open and stopped round the corner.

He was arrested on his way to his parent's house and officers found a knife in the passenger seat footwell of his car.

Coogan said he had used it at his partner’s home a few weeks ago to open her child’s birthday presents and forgot it was in his car.

He told officers in interview the incident was the first and only time he’d harmed his partner.

The defendant had one previous conviction, for possession of a bladed article in 2017 – when he was 15.

Mitigating, Philomena Murphy said his previous conviction related to him being “groomed” by people he lived near to carry drugs.

He then took a knife to school has he reached the “end of his tether” and was “afraid for his safety”.

Ms Murphy said that meant it would be “unjust” to impose the minimum term of imprisonment set by government for carrying a knife.

She added this matter was “careless, foolish and regrettable”.

Judge William Mousley QC said Coogan had a "history of reported domestic violvence", but agreed it would be “unjust” to impose the minimum term.

He sentenced Coogan to six months detention at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for 12 months.

Coogan was also ordered to pay a £1,000 fine, carry out 30 building better relationships programme session as well as 10 rehabilitation requirement days.