A 21-year-old man who assaulted his partner on the street, leaving her with a bloody nose before making off from the scene has been sentenced to nine months in prison.

Described as a man with a “depressing record”, Mark Sheridan of Ann Street, Enniskillen appeared in Fermanagh Magistrates Court on Wednesday, pleading guilty to three charges of common assault - two of which were of a domestic violence nature.

The court heard that although the injured party had not co-operated with police following the incident, video footage captured by a PSNI body worn camera had captured her initial complaint that night and the injury she had sustained.

A Public Prosecution Service (PPS) representative told the court that she had been assessed as being at “high risk” by MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference), adding that she was “particularly vulnerable” and that there were “concerns for her safety”.

On November 18 last year at 12.25am police received a report of an assault at Darling Street, Enniskillen, from the monitoring company which controls the CCTV operation in the town.

The injured party had triggered the Emergency Button located between Queen Street and Darling Street.

The court heard she was “hysterical”, stating: “I need help, I need help!”.

The operator in the CCTV control room tried to focus the camera on the incident location but was unable to do so.

But when police located her, she was in a doorway where a number of individuals were trying to assist her.

She was emotional and had a bloody nose.

Sheridan had made off before the officers arrived.

The court heard that 30 minutes before the Emergency Button was triggered, the complainant had approached door staff in a bar, asking for Sheridan to be removed because he had thrown a glass at her.

CCTV footage later showed an item being thrown at her and appearing to hit her, or or fall near her.

When he was being removed from the bar, Sheridan also assaulted one of the bar staff.

During police interview later he initially stated he hadn’t even been out on the night in question, despite being clearly seen in CCTV footage.

The court heard this was the 11th reported domestic incident involving Sheridan since March last year.

Defence barrister Ciaran Roddy said his client and the complainant had been in a relationship for more than two years when the incident occurred last November.

Acknowledging that Sheridan had breached a previously imposed suspended sentence when this offence occurred, Mr. Roddy agreed his client had a “significant record”.

“He has certain issues which he has failed to deal with thus far,” said Mr. Roddy.

“He hasn’t provided me with any instructions as to what those issues are so it would be unfair for me to speculate what they are,” he added.

There was uncertainty as to whether the assault had involved Sheridan headbutting or punching his partner on the night in question.

However, District Judge Nigel Broderick said that regardless, “it was a very inappropriate action”.

With 85 previous convictions, Mr. Broderick told Sheridan he had a “depressing record for a man so young”.

“Unless you get to grips with your problems you face a lengthy life in custody,” he warned him.

“This is a serious incident of domestic violence and whether she was punched or headbutted, she was clearly distressed.

“There is a history of domestic violence here, where she had previously made complaints to police, but for whatever reason had been unable to see them through.

“Sadly that is common in domestic violence cases which come before the court,” added Mr. Broderick.

Giving credit for his late guilty pleas, Mr. Broderick sentenced Sheridan to nine months in prison and ordered him to pay a £25 offenders’ levy.