A DEVIZES man who tempted his vulnerable partner to leave a refuge for a night left her covered in blood following a violent unprovoked attack.

Jason Burnett punched and kicked the mother in their room at a Swindon hotel, following a history of domestic violence.

When worried police stopped the car they were in the following day he tried to get her to cover up what he had done, a court was told.

Now the 39-year-old, who has a history of domestic violence, has been jailed for 18 months after a judge said he had heard him show no remorse.

Ian Fenny, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court the couple had been together for about ten years.

The woman had moved into a refuge five weeks before the attack. Burnett phoned her and suggested they get back together.

On March 12 they went to the Swindon town centre Holiday Inn where following a drunken night out he attacked her.

After throwing her on to a sofa in their room he repeatedly punched and kicked her, leaving her covered in so much blood the room's towels were soaked in it, leading him to dispose of them to stop hotel staff realising what he had done and raising the alarm.

Mr Fenny said staff at the refuge were so concerned about the woman they contacted police and her car was stopped by officers on the Tuesday.

He said the defendant was driving and his ex had clear injuries to her face and shoulder, leading to his arrest.

Mr Fenny said that Burnett tried to influence her into 'peddling what was a particularly demeaning excuse for the injuries',

Burnett, who gave the court a friend's address in Newleaze, Hilperton, pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm.

The court heard he had a number of previous convictions for violence, including on a former partner.

Lucy Stoker, defending, said he had been out of trouble since 2009 and now realised the relationship was over.

She said he had been offered a home and job with friends and there was no need for him to go back to Devizes.

He was struggling in custody and was concerned as his grandmother was terminally ill and he wished to see her.

Jailing him, Judge Robert Pawson said "It is quite clear that you had given her a hiding.

"You had been in a hotel, you were drunk, there had been an argument. You had thrown her to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked her.

"You attempted to get her to cover up what you had done. What you had done was unprovoked and repeated.

"I haven't once heard the word remorse. Reading the pre-sentence report you were still maintaining you weren't as guilty as the evidence showed you were."